HSC 425I: HUMAN

SEXUALITY AND SEX

EDUCATION

Sarath Gunatilake
MD, Dr.P.H
Professor
Health Science
Department

BeachBoard

You are required to

have a CSULB
internet account
Syllabus,
announcements,
PowerPoint notes,
web resources, etc.
are available on
BeachBoard
Grades will be posted
on BeachBoard

Textbook

Fundamentals of Human Sexuality

Making Health Decisions

Mc Naulty and Burnette
Allyn and Beacon

Professor

Sarath Gunatilake,MD, DrPH,

Health Science Department
HS1FOA #10
(562) 985-5723
Office hours by appointment
sarathg@csulb.edu
Web Site: csulb.edu/~sarathg

Requirements

midterm exam15%
One comprehensive final exam20%
Problem solving writing assignments
15%
Individual Research paper 10%
Self Integration paper 15%
Group Research project 15%
Research presentation, class participation 10%

Total
100%

Extra Credit

You may bring in a new item or journal

article related to class
You may bring in a music clip or a video
clip related to class
You may also bring a problem related to
human sexuality like the ones discussed
in class with the appropriate solutions
If it is accepted by the instructor you
may get up to 10 points

Perspective of Textbook

Sexuality is a
Fundamental
Component of Health
The most significant
factor in shaping
sexuality is the
interplay between
biology, individual
personality, and social
factors
Sex is basically an
expression of intimacy

Perspective of Textbook

Gender roles are societal expectations of

behavior for women and men in a
particular culture. NOT opposite sexes.
Much of what we learn about sex from
popular culture is wrong, half-true or
stereotypical
Homosexuality is a normal sexual
variation
There are significant ethnic differences in
human sexuality

PRETEST: WHAT'S YOUR SEX

IQ?

1. A female can become pregnant

during sexual intercourse without the
male having an orgasm.
True-The little bit of fluid that comes
from the Cowper's gland before a man
ejaculates can contain sperm and
cause pregnancy. It doesn't happen
often, but who wants to take a chance?

2. After exposure to HIV, most

individuals will test positive within
one month.
False-The vast majority of
individuals who are exposed to HIV
will test positive within six months.

3. If a female is a virgin, she will

have a hymen intact.
False-The hymen can be torn as
girls grow up, and sometimes
females are born without a
complete hymen.

4. A majority of the sexual crimes

against children are committed by
adults who are friends or relatives
of the victim.
True-Most often it. is friends and
relatives, not strangers, who
molest children.

5. The volume of semen consists

primarily of sperm.
False-Most of semen is fluids from
the seminal vesicles and prostate
gland, so despite the fact that
there are millions of sperm, it only
makes up a small percentage of
the total ejaculate.

6. A female must experience

orgasm in order to become
pregnant.
False-A woman does not have to
have an orgasm to get pregnant.

7. A female can become pregnant

the first time she has sexual
intercourse.
True-Sperm and eggs don't care if
it is the first time. If they meet,
conception can take place.

8. Alcohol is a common cause of temporary

impotence.
True-Alcohol can cause temporary
impotence. While it lowers inhibitions and
makes us less likely to think of all the
consequences, alcohol can cause physical
sexual problems. The social expectations
we have learned by looking at provocative
liquor commercials and billboards probably
have a lot to do with the images and
expectations we have for ourselves.

9. An imbalance of sex hormones is the

most frequent cause of homosexuality.
False-We really don't know why people
are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgendered, but their hormone level
does not seem to be a factor. There is
some evidence that points to genetics
as playing a part.

10. Among married couples in the

United States, birth control pills are the
most popular method of birth control.
False-Among married couples
sterilization, including vasectomy for
males and tubal ligation for females,is
the most popular method of birth
control.

11. Male transvestites (men who

like to dress in women's clothes)
are usually homosexual.
False-Transvestites are not usually
homosexual.

12. A large majority of parents want their

children to be given sex education in the
schools.
True-Surveys show most parents want
schools to provide sex education;
however, the people who oppose sex
education receive a great deal of publicity
in the media. There is also controversy
about what should be covered.

13. A person must have symptoms

of AIDS to infect others.
False-You do not have to have
symptoms of AIDS to infect others.

14. The age at which puberty starts has

stayed constant over the last 200 years.
False-Over time, puberty has occurred
at a younger age. Two hundred years
ago menstruation started about age 17;
the average age now is between 11 and
13. We think part of the difference can
be attributed to nutrition, weight gain,
hormones, and/or pesticides in foods.

15. It is possible for a woman to

become pregnant during her
period.
True-While the risk is low, an egg
can be put into a woman's system
at any time, and if it meets with a
sperm, she can become pregnant.

16. The most common sexually

transmitted disease among college
students is gonorrhea.
False-The most common sexually
transmitted disease among college
students is genital warts.

17. A man usually expels more

than 200 million sperm in each
ejaculation.
True-Isn't that amazing!

18. Fertilization of the egg

(conception) occurs in the vagina.
False-Fertilization usually takes
place in the fallopian tubes.

19. Chlamydia is responsible for as

many as 80% of all cases of
infertility.
True-This is particularly startling in
light of the fact that early
symptoms of chlamydia often do
not occur, especially among
women.

20. Testicular cancer primarily

affects men over 50.
False-Though testicular cancer is
rare, it primarily affects men from
ages 20-35. Prostate cancer is the
more common type of cancer we
see in older men.

21. In most countries around the

world, AIDS is still mainly a disease
of male homosexuals.
False-In many countries, the
numbers of men and women
affected are equal.

22. For most women, birth control

pills have more benefits than
negative health effects.
True-While some women should not
take birth control pills because of
their age or preexisting medical
problems, most women have more
positive than negative effects.

23. Alcohol and marijuana are

sexual stimulants.
False-In reality, alcohol and
marijuana are depressants-but
they do lower inhibitions as
discussed in the answer to
question 8.

24. Teenage girls usually have easier

pregnancies and healthier babies
than women in their twenties.
False-Teenagers who are pregnant
have riskier pregnancies and more
health problems. Unfortunately, they
often don't get good prenatal care.

25. Genital herpes can be cured.

False-Although there is a drug that
can decrease the severity and pain
associated with an outbreak of
genital herpes, the virus stays in
the body throughout a person's
lifetime.

26. Home screening tests are now

available for HIV.
True-Even though the test may be quite
accurate for detecting HIV infection,
inadequate counseling, a false sense of
security if the test turns out negative,
and insufficient information about the
risk of other SDIs are issues which
concern health-care providers.

27. Women can get pregnant

without penetration of the vagina.
True-While rare, sperm deposited
close to the vagina have caused
pregnancies.

28. The HIV virus can be

transmitted by oral sex.
True-Though uncommon, the virus
that causes AIDS can be
transmitted by oral sex when
infected semen or vaginal
secretions get into open sores or
cuts in and around the mouth.

29. Nocturnal emissions ("wet

dreams") are often an indication of
a sexual problem.
False-Nocturnal emissions are a
normal occurrence in men.

30. The amount of vaginal lubrication is

a reliable indicator of a woman's sexual
interest.
False-While vaginal lubrication can be
an indicator of a woman's arousal, it is
only a first sign, and further
communication is important. Other
factors, like taking medicines and
menopause, can lower lubrication.

31. The practice of female

circumcision was halted long ago.
False-Unfortunately, female
circumcision is still practiced in
parts of the world.

32. Most transsexuals feel that

they really should be a member of
the other sex.
True-Transsexuals usually feel like
they are "trapped" inside the
wrong body.

33. Children first become sexual

when they reach puberty.
False-It is normal for children to
masturbate and have sexual
feelings at a very young age.

34. Masturbation can be harmful if

it occurs more than twice a week.
False-Other than guilt that may be
associated with it, masturbation
does not have harmful physical or
psychological effects.

35. Statutory rape means forced

intercourse between an adult and a
child or teenager.
False-Even if a minor is willing, statutory
rape can be charged when an adult has
intercourse with a minor. (In some
states this law applies only when minoraged women have sex with adult men.)

36. Most people who have had sexual

experience during childhood or
adolescence with someone of the
same sex will become gay or lesbian.
False-Studies show that many people
have same-sex experiences while
growing up and are heterosexual as
adults.

37. People who live together before

marriage tend to divorce less often than
those who did not live together before their
marriage.
False-Contrary to what was expected,
people who cohabitate first are not less
likely to divorce. It may not mean that
these couples are unhappier than those
that stay married, but rather that they tend
to be less conservative than couples that
don't cohabitate before marriage.

38. Infants are capable of erection

or vaginal lubrication.
True-These are both responses that
happen normally and naturally to
infants.

39. The greatest increase in the

number of people testing positive for
HIV since 1990 is among gay white
men.
False-At the present time, people of
color are getting AIDS at an increasing
and disproportionate rate, and we are
seeing more cases in women and
infants.

40. Oral-genital contact between a

husband and wife is illegal in some
states.
True-Though not enforced, sodomy
laws in some states ban oralgenital contact in all situations,
including between married couples.

Sexuality, Popular Culture,

and the Media

Media images of sexuality

permeate a variety of areas in
peoples lives.
They can produce sexual arousal
and emotional reactions, increase
sexual behaviors, and be a source
of sex information.

Media with Sexual Content

Advertising
Music
Radio
Magazines
Television

Drama
Situation comedies
Soap Operas
Crime/Action-Adventure
Programs
Made-for-TV movies
Commercials
Other

Hollywood Films
Mainstream
Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual,
Transgendered
Cybersex
Dial-a-Porn

Sexuality Across Cultures

and Times

Culture takes our sexual impulses and molds

and shapes them, sometimes celebrating
sexuality, other times condemning it.
Sex is not a new phenomenon. Every variety
of sexual behavior can be found in the pages
of history.
Sexual impulses - an inclination to act
sexually
Culture takes our sexual impulses and molds
and shapes them