* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download understanding_sexual..
Sex-positive feminism wikipedia , lookup
Human sexual activity wikipedia , lookup
Sexual addiction wikipedia , lookup
Sexual fluidity wikipedia , lookup
Sex and sexuality in speculative fiction wikipedia , lookup
Body odour and sexual attraction wikipedia , lookup
Sexual selection wikipedia , lookup
Sexual abstinence wikipedia , lookup
Ages of consent in South America wikipedia , lookup
Age of consent wikipedia , lookup
Blanchard's transsexualism typology wikipedia , lookup
Hookup culture wikipedia , lookup
Sexual reproduction wikipedia , lookup
Ego-dystonic sexual orientation wikipedia , lookup
Sexological testing wikipedia , lookup
Sexual slavery wikipedia , lookup
Sexual racism wikipedia , lookup
Human male sexuality wikipedia , lookup
Female ejaculation wikipedia , lookup
Exploitation of women in mass media wikipedia , lookup
Sexual objectification wikipedia , lookup
Sexuality after spinal cord injury wikipedia , lookup
Human mating strategies wikipedia , lookup
Sex in advertising wikipedia , lookup
Sexual ethics wikipedia , lookup
Erotic plasticity wikipedia , lookup
Sexual dysfunction wikipedia , lookup
History of human sexuality wikipedia , lookup
Penile plethysmograph wikipedia , lookup
Rochdale child sex abuse ring wikipedia , lookup
Female promiscuity wikipedia , lookup
Slut-shaming wikipedia , lookup
Sexual stimulation wikipedia , lookup
Lesbian sexual practices wikipedia , lookup
Sexual attraction wikipedia , lookup
Porterbrook Clinic Sheffield Care Trust Getting the Most out of Psychosexual Therapy Understanding Sexual Response Information for Users of our service Dr Kevan Wylie Clinical Lead Porterbrook Clinic 75 Osborne Road Nether Edge Sheffield S11 9BF Telephone: 0114 271 6671 Fax: 0114 271 8693 Email: [email protected] www.porterbrookclinic.org.uk Sexologists have researched human being intoxicated by an appealing sexuality over the last fifty years and scent; have come up with a number of being kissed, hugged or caressed. definitions of the sexual response cycle (for example, Masters and Johnson in Desire can also well up from emotional 1966; Kaplan in 1979; Basson in 2000). sources, such as feeling loved, wanting This leaflet summarises some of their to findings. emotional closeness, wanting to feel show commitment, needing attractive, or to share pleasure or fun. Sexual responses can be enjoyed for their own sake (for example, during a Arousal or excitement fantasy or daydream) or may lead to sexual activity such as self-pleasuring, Arousal in this sense means physical foreplay, oral sex and intercourse. sexual excitement. It’s what happens when your body prepares itself for, and Sexual response is often seen as having responds to, sexual activity. four different phases – desire, arousal, climax and resolution - but in real Men situations, it doesn’t always work quite like that, as we shall see. In a man, the first sign is often an erection. This is produced when the brain sends messages to release nitric Desire oxide from nerve endings in the penis. This is the experience of having sexual The chemical dilates the blood vessels, thoughts or fantasies, or wanting to be allowing the penis to fill with blood. involved in sexual activity, either alone This in turn constricts the veins that or with a partner. Desire is often allow blood to leave the area, leading to triggered by stimulation of the senses, the enlargement and hardening of the such as: penis. seeing a good-looking person; hearing music with a sexy rhythm; Other signs of arousal for a man may tasting a sensual food, such as a be: luscious, juicy fruit; Getting the most out of Psychosexual Therapy flushing of the skin breathing more heavily and point to note for men who worry that feeling tense and sweaty. their penis is too small). For men and women, arousal often As arousal builds, the testicles swell comes in waves, with increasing and slightly, the scrotum tightens and drops decreasing erections and vulval/vaginal of liquid (pre-cum) start to seep from the responses. This is perfectly normal – the end of the penis. sexual response cycle involves momentby-moment feedback between the body, Women the mind and the emotions, which means the levels of arousal will wax and Arousal in women is not so obvious, and wane. The secret is to enjoy this, instead some women may not be aware of the of worrying about it! changes that are taking place, especially if they are not very tuned into their It is also important for men to remember bodies. Signs are: that having an erection does NOT mean flushing of the skin; that either he or his partner is necessarily increased genital and breast ready for sex. sensitivity; phase goes on, the more likely a woman nipples hardening; is to be ready for penetration, and the the clitoris (the small organ at the more intense a man's orgasm will be front of the vulva most similar to a when man’s penis) swelling and becoming intercourse too early can often lead to erect; dissatisfaction, discomfort and a less wetness or lubrication (often hidden enjoyable experience. he The longer the arousal comes. Rushing into inside the vagina); a sense of swelling, warmth or Climax or orgasm tingling in the vulva and vagina. In addition, the uterus and cervix are If arousal continues and increases, men pulled upwards and the innermost part and women may reach the point of of the vagina balloons as arousal climax or orgasm. increases. This means that only the lower part is actually in contact with the penis during intercourse (an important Understanding Sexual Response Usually, as the man ejaculates, he also Men experiences an orgasm - an intensely For a man, seminal fluid builds up in the pleasurable build up and release of prostate gland until the prostate, seminal tension, usually followed by a feeling of vesicles and vas deferens begin to well-being and calm. contract and expel the seminal fluid. physiological or psychological reasons, This is called emission and may be felt as ejaculate but experience no sensation of warmth Some men, for intensely orgasm. Some men have an orgasm but pleasurable contractions involving the do not ejaculate, or ejaculate inwardly pelvic floor muscles, anal sphincter, into the bladder (called ‘retrograde rectum, perineum and genitals. ejaculation’), resulting in cloudy urine or as sharp, Once this has happened, the man has reached following sexual climax. a point of no return (or ‘ejaculatory inevitability’) after which he will Women ejaculate, whatever happens. Once he has man Contrary to popular belief, women do experiences a warm rush of fluid or a reached this point, a not ejaculate, but they will usually shooting sensation as the semen travels experience the same increase in tension, through the urethra and is expelled. followed by an irresistible and compelling release, lasting approximately The amount of fluid ejaculated can vary 5-15 seconds. This may be experienced in quantity but is usually about a as waves rushing throughout the body, teaspoonful. but especially in the genital area. Some If a man has not had a vasectomy, the fluid contains millions of women sperms (not visible to the naked eye), contractions of the muscles surrounding together with good things like sugar to the vagina. Climax is often followed by feed the sperm. a feeling of well-being and tranquillity, as If he has had a vasectomy, he will still ejaculate seminal will also be aware of it is for men. fluid, but it will not contain the sperm. Either way, the fluid is perfectly clean and Not all women experience orgasms, and hygienic. most will do so only if the sexual activity has included caressing of the clitoris (by their partner’s finger or tongue, their Getting the most out of Psychosexual Therapy own finger, a vibrator or, in a few sexual Men in particular have a tendency to positions, indirectly by the penis during want to sleep at this time; although it is thrusting). Some (but by no means all) important he is sensitive to his partner women can experience more than one and considers her or his wishes, at least orgasm (often called ‘multiple orgasm’), some of the time. if stimulation continues. Women and sexual desire Orgasm may be experienced by both men and women as: Often desire paves the way for arousal, a flow of energy; but sometimes the opposite is true. deeply pleasurable muscular Research suggests that it is perfectly contractions; normal for many women in established an overall feeling of well-being; relationships rarely, if ever, to experience an intensely spiritual experience. desire in the sense of an instinctive Remember, however, that not all sexual hunger - but that it is still perfectly orgasms are earth-moving events! possible for them to enjoy good sex lives. Orgasms do involve the whole body, and therefore simple things like how tired This is because many women find that you are and your mood, as well as how they are able to be receptive to sexual aroused you were feeling beforehand, stimuli, despite starting from a position will all have an impact on the intensity of of sexual neutrality. the experience. It’s important not to get might be a desire for emotional intimacy, hung up on this. bonding or to make their partner feel The motivation good. The good news is that, for these Resolution women, the response cycle is still activated, because desire kicks in at a This is the ‘lull after the storm’, when the later stage, after they have become body settles down, and both partners physiologically aroused. often feel pleasantly relaxed and calm. The blood flows out of the penis, which In practice, for many women, if they returns to its usual size and shape. For a initiate sexual activity, or accept a sexual woman, the feeling of fullness and approach from their partner, even congestion in her pelvis slowly subsides. though they don’t feel ‘in the mood’, Understanding Sexual Response they will often surprise themselves by Finally, it’s important to remember that getting in touch with a desire to desire and arousal do not need to lead to continue. climax. It can therefore be Neither men nor women are misunderstanding of the way their harmed in any way by stopping at the response cycle works that leads many arousal phase; all that happens is that women to think they should wait to feel ‘resolution’ phase takes longer. sexual hunger before engaging in sexual women, and some men, can enjoy sex activity – and sometimes, it can mean a without climaxing: the sexual encounter very long wait! may still have provided pleasure and Many emotional closeness for both of you. This can give hope to those women who perceive that there is something wrong with them because they never seem to “feel horny”, as it means they can still enjoy entirely satisfactory sex lives by being able and willing to respond to sexual advances from their partners. Written by ROSE WHITELEY for the Porterbrook Clinic, Sheffield © Porterbrook Clinic 2006 Getting the most out of Psychosexual Therapy NOTES Understanding Sexual Response A4 © Porterbrook Clinic 2006