Chapter 13 Outline

Some Forms of Childhood Sexual Expression Are Common

• In Contemporary Western Culture, Children Are Insulated from Sex
• Box 13.1: Sexual Health: Talking with Children about Sex
• Some Children Engage in Solitary Sexual Activity
• Interpersonal Sexual Activity Can Occur during Childhood
• Cultures Vary in Their Attitudes toward Childhood Sexuality

Study questions: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Some Children Have Sexual Contacts with Adults

• Most Adult–Child Contacts Involve Older Children and Are Single Encounters
• Some Kinds of Adult–Child Sex Are More Harmful than Others
• Box 13.2: Society, Values, and the Law: Sex and Suggestibility
• Strategies to Prevent Adult–Child Sex Are Quite Effective

Study questions: 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19

Preadolescence May Be Marked by an Increase in Sexual Interest

• Preadolescent Children Segregate by Sex
• Strict Gender Norms May Traumatize Children Who Become Gay Adults

Study questions: 20 | 21 | 22

Adolescence Is a Time of Sexual Exploration

• Many Cultures Have Puberty Rites
• There Are Social Influences on Teen Sexual Behavior
• Males Masturbate More than Females
• The Sexual Behavior of American Teens Has Increased and Diversified
• Box 13.3: Research Highlights: Losing It
• Noncoital Sex Is Popular among Teens

Study questions: 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30

Teen Sexuality Is Central to Identity Development

• Is Dating Outdated?
• Teen Pregnancy Is Declining but Is Still Too Common

Study questions: 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36

In Young Adulthood, Conflicting Demands Moderate Sexual Expression

• Most Young Men and Women Have Only a Few Sex Partners

Study questions: 37

Cohabitation Is an Increasingly Prevalent Lifestyle

• Marriages Preceded by Cohabitation Are Less Durable
• Cohabitation Has Diverse Meanings

Study questions: 38 | 39 | 40 | 41

Marriage Takes Diverse Forms

• The Formalization of Sexual Unions Has Social and Personal Functions
• Many Societies Have Permitted Polygamy
• Box 13.4: Cultural Diversity: Mormon Polygamy
• Polyamory Includes a Variety of Nonmonogamous Relationships

Study questions: 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47

The Institution of Marriage Is Evolving

• Companionate Marriage Makes the Availability of Divorce a Necessity
• Marriage Is Becoming a Minority Status

Study questions: 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53

Most Married Couples Are Satisfied with Their Sex Lives

• Marriage Makes Sex More Satisfying for Women
• The Frequency of Sex Declines during Marriage
• Box 13.5: Research Highlights: Contrast Effects and Marital Woes
• Women’s Marital Satisfaction Declines during Middle Age

Study questions: 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58

Many Factors Bring Relationships to an End

• Dissimilarity between Husbands and Wives Shortens Marriages

Study questions: 59 | 60

Marital Disruption Can Have Negative and Positive Consequences

• Divorced Men and Women Can Suffer Physical, Psychological, and Economic Damage
• Divorce May Be the Start of a New Life
• Most Divorced People Remarry

Study questions: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65

Menopause Marks Women’s Transition to Infertility

• Menopause May Be Caused by Depletion of Oocytes
• Decreased Hormone Levels Affect Some Women’s Sexual Responses
• Women Typically Experience Some Decline in Sexual Desire at Menopause
• Hormone Therapy Can Reduce Menopausal Symptoms
• Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Is Controversial
• There Are Ethnic Differences in the Psychological Experience of Menopause

Study questions: 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75

Men’s Fertility Declines Gradually with Age

Study questions: 76

The Sex Lives of Older People Have Traditionally Been Ignored

• Aging Is Accompanied by Physiological Changes in the Sexual Response
• Medical Conditions, Drugs, and Social Factors Can Impair the Sexuality of Older People
• Coping Strategies May Require Flexibility
• Some Older People Remain Sexually Active
• Box 13.6: Research Highlights: Sex and Death among Welsh Cheesemakers

Study questions: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85