Overview

In this textbook, Simon LeVay and Janice Baldwin aim to help students understand the diversity of human sexual expression as well as the diversity of perspectives from which sexuality can be studied. Well-known for its high-quality presentation of biological aspects of sexuality, the book also devotes rich coverage to the insights gained from cognitive science, social psychology, sociology, feminism, and cross-cultural studies, along with both moral and political discourse on sexual themes. The Fourth Edition provides up-to-date coverage of all topics, ranging from gay marriage in New York to the latest developments in contraceptive technology and exciting findings on pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV. Still the leader in terms of its biological coverage, the Fourth Edition also has expanded coverage of many other issues, ranging from sex-therapy exercises to learning theories of gender and paraphilias.

Full Product Details

Author:   Simon LeVay
Publisher:   Sinauer Associates Inc.,U.S.
Imprint:   Sinauer Associates Inc.,U.S.
Edition:   1st ed. 2015
Dimensions:   Width: 22.80cm , Height: 1.80cm , Length: 27.50cm
Weight:   1.359kg
ISBN:  

9780878934218

ISBN 10:   0878934219
Pages:   560
Publication Date:   01 January 2009
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

PART I: PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUALITY Why Study Human Sexuality? Researchers Take Diverse Approaches to the Study of Sexuality Sex-Education Faces Significant Obstacles PART II: WOMEN'S BODIES A Woman's Vulva Includes Her Mons, Labia, Vaginal Opening, and Clitoris The Vagina Is the Outermost Portion of the Female Reproductive Tract The Anus Can Also Be a Sex Organ The Uterus Serves a Double Duty The Oviducts Are the Site of Fertilization The Ovaries Produce Ova and Sex Hormones Menstruation Is a Biological Process with Cultural and Practical Aspects Menstrual Problems Are Common But Treatable Sex Steroids Have Other Effects The Breasts Have Both Erotic and Reproductive Significance PART III: MEN'S BODIES The Male External Genitalia Are the Penis and Scrotum Penile Erection Involves Nerves, Blood, and Chemistry The Testicles Produce Sperm and Sex Hormones Nudity Is Culturally Regulated PART IV: SEX AND GENDER DIFFERENCES Genes and Hormones Guide Sex Development Sex Development May Go Awry Gender Is a Central Aspect of Personhood Biological Factors Influence Gender Experiments Demonstrate a Role for Sex Hormones Life Experiences Influence Gender Gender Development Involves Complex Interactions Transgendered People Cross Society's Deepest Divide PART V: ATTRACTION, AROUSAL, AND RESPONSE Sexual Attraction: It Takes Two Attractiveness Involves Senses Besides Vision Sexual Arousal Has Multiple Roots Sexual Arousal Follows a Response Cycle PART VI: SEXUAL BEHAVIOR People Have Differing Ideas about What Constitutes Sexual Behavior Masturbation Is a Very Common Form of Sexual Expression The Kiss Represents True Love-Sometimes 'Petting' and 'Fondling' Refer to a Variety of Noncoital Behaviors Oral Sex Is Increasingly Popular Most Sexual Encounters Include Coitus Anal Sex May Be a Part of Either Heterosexual or Male Homosexual Behavior Men and Women May Have Different Preferences for Sexual Encounters Sex Toys Are Used to Enhance Sexual Pleasure Some Cultures Have Discussed Sexual Behavior More Openly than Others Many Disabled People Have Active Sex Lives PART VII: SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS Sexual Relationships Are Motivated by Many Factors Religion and the Law Influence Sexual Morality Moral Judgments about Sex Depend on Its Context Americans' Attitudes Have Changed over Time Casual Sex Has More Appeal to Men than to Women Dating Relationships Are Often Short-Lived Love Cements Many Sexual Relationships Unrequited Love Is Painful for Both Parties Life Experiences Mold Our Sexual Relationships Couples in Relationships Resemble Each Other Communication Is a Key Factor in the Success of Relationships Love, Jealousy, and Infidelity Are Intertwined Extra-Pair Relationships Have Many Styles and Motivations PART VIII: FERTILITY, PREGNANCY, AND CHILDBIRTH Pregnancy and Childbirth Raise Major Health Concerns Pregnancy Is Confirmed by Hormonal Tests The Likelihood of Achieving Pregnancy Can Be Maximized by Tracking Ovulation Infertility Can Result from Problems in the Woman or in the Man Many Embryos Do Not Survive Pregnancy Is Conventionally Divided into Three Trimesters The Second Trimester Is the Easiest The Third Trimester Is a Time of Preparation Labor Has Three Stages The Period after Birth Places Many Demands on Parents Breast-Feeding Is the Preferred Method of Nourishing the Infant PART IX: CONTRACEPTION AND ABORTION Birth Control Has a Long History Different Users Have Different Contraceptive Needs Physical Methods Block Sperm Transport Hormone-Based Methods Are Easy to Use Hormones Can Be Administered by Non-Oral Routes Behavioral Methods Are Demanding There Are Contraceptive Options after Unprotected Coitus Sterilization Is Highly Reliable Disabled Persons Have Special Contraceptive Needs Several Safe Abortion Procedures Are Available Americans Are Divided on Abortion, but Most Favor Restricted Availability PART X: SEXUALITY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: FROM BIRTH TO ADOLESCENCE Is Childhood a Period of Sexual Innocence? Some Children Have Sexual Contact with Adults Preadolescence May Be Marked by an Increase in Sexual Interest Adolescence Is a Time of Sexual Exploration Teen Sexuality Is Central to Identity Development PART XI: SEXUALITY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN: ADULTHOOD In Young Adulthood, Conflicting Demands Moderate Sexual Expression Cohabitation Is an Increasingly Prevalent Lifestyle Marriage Takes Diverse Forms The Institution of Marriage Is Evolving Most Married Couples Are Satisfied with Their Sex Lives Many Factors Bring Relationships to an End Marital Disruption Can Have Negative and Positive Consequences Menopause Marks Women's Transition to Infertility Men's Fertility Declines Gradually with Age The Sex Lives of Old People Have Traditionally Been Ignored PART XII: SEXUAL ORIENTATION There Is a Spectrum of Sexual Orientations Sexual Orientation Is Not an Isolated Trait Diverse Theories Attempt to Explain Sexual Orientation The Gay Community Has Struggled for Equal Rights Growing Up Gay Presents Challenges Gay Sex Has Its Own Style Changing Sexual Orientation Is Difficult or Impossible Homophobia Has Multiple Roots Bisexuals Are Caught between Two Worlds PART XIII: ATYPICAL SEXUALITY Sexual Variety Is the Spice of Life 'Paraphilia' Is the Psychiatric Term for Problematic Sexual Desire or Behavior Some Adults Desire Sexual Contact with Children Sex Offenders Do Not Necessarily Repeat Their Offenses There Are Numerous Theories of Paraphilia Theories of Causation Have Suggested a Variety of Treatments PART XIV: SEXUAL DISORDERS The Prevalence of Sexual Disorders Is Controversial Erectile Dysfunction Has Many Causes and Treatments Premature Ejaculation Is Men's Number One Sex Problem Delayed Ejaculation Can Be a Side Effect of Several Drugs Sexual Pain Is Uncommon in Men Female Sexual Arousal Disorder Involves Insufficient Genital Response There Are Many Reasons for Sexual Pain in Women Difficulty in Reaching Orgasm Is Very Common among Women Too Much Interest in Sex Can Cause Problems Lack of Desire for Sex Is Not Necessarily a Problem PART XV: SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES Venereal Diseases Were Seen as Punishment for Sexual License STDs Are Still a Major Problem in the United States Insects Are More of an Annoyance than a Danger Trichomoniasis Is Caused by a Protozoan Bacterial STDs Can Usually Be Treated with Antibiotics Gonorrhea Can Lead to Infertility Chlamydia Causes a Common Infection with Serious Complications The Status of Bacterial Vaginosis as an STD Is Uncertain Urethritis Can Be Caused by a Variety of Organisms Viral STDs Can Be Dangerous and Hard to Treat Molluscum Contagiosum Is a Self-Limiting Condition Genital Herpes Is a Lifelong but Not Life-Threatening Infection Human Papillomaviruses Can Cause Genital Warts-and Cancer Hepatitis Viruses Can Be Sexually Transmitted AIDS Is Caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus There Are Several Ways to Reduce the Likelihood of STD Transmission Not Everything Is an STD PART XVI: SEXUAL ASSAULT, HARASSMENT, AND PARTNER VIOLENCE What Is Rape? College Rapes Are Common Rape Can Have Severe Effects on the Victim Rape Laws Have Become More Protective of Victims Why Do Men Rape? Intervention Programs Are of Uncertain Value Sexual Harassment Occurs in Many Environments There Are Three Kinds of Stalkers Intimate Partner Violence Is a Crime with Many Names PART XVII: SEX AS A COMMODITY Can Money Buy You Love? There Is a Hierarchy of Prostitution Good Pay Is the Main Motive for Prostitution Phone Sex Blends Prostitution and Pornography Pornography Has Always Been Part of Human Culture There Are Conflicting Perspectives on the Value or Harm of Pornography Sex Is Part of the Mass Media

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Author Information

SIMON LEVAY, Ph.D. is a British-born neuroscientist turned science writer and teacher. He was educated at Cambridge University, UK and the University of Gottingen, Germany. In 1971, he moved to the United States. He has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and has taught at Harvard, the University of California, and Stanford University, all USA. LeVay has authored over 40 scientific studies; the best known of these is a 1991 report in Science that described a difference in brain structure between heterosexual and homosexual men. This study helped spark a wealth of new research on the biology of sexual orientation. LeVay is the author or coauthor of nine books, some in the area of human sexuality and others on a broader range of scientific topics. JANICE BALDWIN, Ph.D. is a sociologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA. She is co-author, with her husband John Baldwin, of numerous studies and articles in the area of sexuality and sex education, as well as the textbook Behavior Principles in Everyday Life, now in its fourth edition. The Baldwins co-teach an undergraduate Human Sexuality course that is regularly voted Best Course at UCSB. They also teach an advanced seminar course on the same topic. The Baldwins have been named as Best Professors on several occasions.

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