Sexual Behaviour and Sexual Response
Senior 2 · Biology
Sexual Behaviour and Sexual Response
Lesson 2 of 4
16 min
At puberty, sex hormones do more than change the shape of the body. They also bring new feelings: noticing other people, feeling attracted to someone, and sometimes feeling sexually aroused. These feelings are a normal part of human development. Biology can explain what happens in the body, and understanding it clearly is part of making wise, confident decisions. The most important point comes first: feelings and body responses happen automatically, but behaviour is always a choice.
Sexual arousal is the response of the mind and body to sexual thoughts or stimulation. It is controlled by the brain, through the nervous system and hormones, and it involves both the mind (psychological) and the body (physiological). Biologists describe the sexual response of an adult in four phases. The same basic pattern happens in males and females.
| Phase | What happens in the body |
|---|---|
| 1. Excitement | Heart rate and breathing speed up. Blood vessels in the genital area widen, so extra blood flows into spongy erectile tissue. In males the penis fills with blood and becomes firm and erect (an erection). In females the clitoris and the labia swell with blood, and the walls of the vagina release a lubricating fluid. |
| 2. Plateau | The changes of the excitement phase continue and become stronger. Heart rate, breathing and muscle tension increase further. |
| 3. Orgasm | A short peak of rhythmic, involuntary muscle contractions. In males, contractions push semen, containing sperm, out through the urethra: ejaculation. In females, the muscles of the uterus and vagina contract in waves. |
| 4. Resolution | The body gradually returns to its normal, resting state. Males have a refractory period, lasting from minutes to hours, during which another erection or ejaculation cannot occur. |
Classify each statement as a body response (automatic) or a decision (chosen), and say why it matters.
Tip
E-P-O-R: Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, Resolution. Learn the four phases in order, and one body change for each: blood flows into erectile tissue; the changes intensify; rhythmic contractions (and ejaculation in males); the return to normal (with a refractory period in males).
Explain what causes an erection.
Answer: Nerve signals from the brain make blood vessels in the penis widen. Extra blood flows into the spongy erectile tissue and is held there, so the penis becomes larger and firm.
Name the four phases of the sexual response in the correct order.
Answer: Excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution.
Give one similarity and one difference between the male and female sexual responses.
Answer: Similarity: in both, blood flow to the genital organs increases, and heart rate and breathing rise (or: both go through the same four phases). Difference: males ejaculate semen and have a refractory period; females do not.
A student says, "If someone's body responds, it means they want it." Explain why this is wrong.
Answer: Arousal is an automatic response of the nervous system and hormones; it can happen without any wish or decision, especially during puberty. Wanting and agreeing are decisions made by the mind. Only a clear, freely given agreement is consent.
Remember
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