Transcript STIs Sexually Transmitted Infections

Gender & Sex
Introduction
Gender Identity
Jorgenson
Biology of Sex
INTRODUCTION
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Are you a male or female?
Are you a man or a woman?
Are you masculine or feminine?
Most people give a biological answer based
on chromosomes, hormones, and sexual
anatomical structures
Your sex is your biological identification
Your gender is your social identification
Learning Who You “Are”
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We learn early in life who we are, or who we are
supposed to be
Parents raise children according to their social gender
identity
Baby girls wear pink and baby boys wear blue
Kids are taught which toys are for girls and boys
Kids are taught which sports are for girls and which
sports are for boys
Visit a Walmart or Target and examine the Toys aisles
for observation – what themes are consistent (e.g. color)
INTRODUCTION
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Gender is important in understanding others, based on
how we perceive them, and vice versa
How do the terms apply to individuals who do not fit into
the culture’s traditional gender molds?
Celebrities such as Lady GaGa, Marilyn Manson, David
Bowie, and Prince are called “gender benders”
Their dress, actions, and attitudes challenge our social
and cultural views of what it means to be male or
female/masculine or feminine
Androgyny
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Two-dimensional model of gender: gender is not an either-or issue,
people may have elements of both genders
People who perceive themselves as having both strong masculine and
feminine traits
Andro, means male or masculine and gyn means female or feminine
Research suggests some advantages for people who are less strongly
sex-typed and more able to behave in either masculine or feminine
ways
Studies have shown that people who are more androgynous appear to
be happier and better adjusted than those who are strongly sex-typed
Androgynous individuals have greater success in heterosexual intimate
relationships
The story of Christine Jorgensen
(1926-1989)
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Born a biological male (George)
Psychologically he was a woman
Served in the US Army in WWII
1951-1953 had surgical sex reassignment operation
in Denmark
No surgeon in the US was willing to perform the
surgery during this time
Procedures included removal of both testicles, the
scrotum, and the penis
The story of Christine Jorgensen
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No reconstructive surgery was done at that time
to create female genitals, but later she had
surgery to construct a vagina, with moderate
success
Her operation was the first to receive worldwide
media attention
She did not shy away from the publicity – she
has a few biographies and music recordings
The development of biological sex
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A person’s biological sex is determined at the moment
of conception, and is based on the combination of
chromosomes that result from fertilization
The egg (ovum) from the woman’s ovary contains an X
chromosome
The sperm cell that fertilizes the ovum carries either an
X or a Y sex chromosome
Two X chromosomes combine to produce a female (XX)
An XY combination produces a male
Variations in biological sex
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The genitals of male and female human fetuses are
indistinguishable until about the 12th week of pregnancy
Biological sex is not as simple as it may appear
Not all fetuses have only XX or XY sex chromosomes
Two of the most common chromosomal variations in humans
are Klinefelter syndrome and Turner syndrome
Some fetuses do not develop clear male or female genitals
and are born with “ambiguous genitalia”
They don’t have both male and female genitals – the genitals
are not identifiable as male or female and may have some
features of both
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
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1 in 16,000 to 20,000 cases
baby born genetically male – possess XY sex
chromosomes, but possess normal appearing
female external genitals
the XY fetus (male) is insensitive to the androgens
and does not respond biologically to them
genital masculinization will not occur and the fetus
will develop female external genitals (clitoris, labia,
and vagina), but no fallopian tubes or a uterus
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
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baby born externally appearing a girl, but with
internal testicles that sometimes go undetected until
puberty but produce normal male levels of
testosterone
babies raised as girls, the testosterone insensitivity
continues and is converted to estrogen
pubic hair is absent and menstruation will not occur,
which is usually what triggers the diagnosis, and the
internal testicles are removed and female hormone
therapy prescribed
Intersexuality
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Stereotypically called hermaphrodites – portrayed
as having a functional penis, a vagina, and female
breasts
They are referred to as intersex individuals
between .02% and 1.7% of people born with sexual
anatomy that is neither completely male nor
completely female, but a combination with features
of both
Intersex babies are born one of three conditions:
Intersexuality
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They are genetically male (XY chromosomes)
but have external genitals that are completely
female (vagina and clitoris)
They are genetically female (XX chromosomes)
but have external genitals that are completely
male (penis and testicles)
They are genetically female (XX) but have
external genitals that are ambiguous – in
between male and female
Intersexuality
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When the baby’s genitals are ambiguous, parents and
doctors alter the child’s external sexual anatomy
surgically to resemble either “normal” male or female
genitalia
The practice of routine surgical alteration of intersex
babies is controversial
Critics claim that altering intersex babies against their
will and without consent is ethically and morally wrong
They say babies should be left in tact until they reach
adulthood and can decide their sex for themselves
Socialization and gender identity
What happens when there is conflict between sex and gender?
 A small percentage of people perceive that their biological sex and
their gender identity are in conflict.
 These individuals are referred to as transgendered
 Reflect on Christine Jorgensen
 some people experience extreme discomfort with their biological
sex
 they feel that their physical self is at odds with their gender identity
 A transgender individual may be a biological male who perceives
himself as partially or fully female and believes her male sexual
body is a mistake of nature
Transgenderism
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Transgender individuals are no more confused
about their gender identity than anyone else
The difference is that unlike most people, their
gender identity does not conform to their biological
sex
The number of transgender people is difficult to
estimate - many hide their true gender identity
Others eventually decide to transition to their true
gender identity
Transgenderism
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The term transsexual is commonly used to describe
transgender people who transition from their biological
sex to the sex that conforms to their gender identity
Many engage in cross-dressing to the extent that
dressing as the opposite sex allows them to express
their gender identity and achieve some gender
comfort
This is not considered a fetish, as it is when a man
wears women clothes for sexual gratification
Transgenderism
Other transsexuals may choose to alter
their physical sex partially through
hormone treatments via injection or skin
patch to produce significant changes
 MTF transsexuals receive female
hormones estrogen and progesterone
 FTM transsexuals receive the male
hormone testosterone
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Sex Reassignment Surgery
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The most extreme strategy for transsexuals is sex
reassignment surgery or “sex-change operation”
In male to female individuals, hormone treatments do not
produce a change in voice pitch
The procedure called phonosurgery has been developed to
raise voice pitch in male to female transsexuals
Sex reassignment surgery is lengthy and costly
Process: approx. 4 ½ years
Cost: approx. $9,000 to $80,000 in the US, based upon the
type of procedures selected