sex

Examples of sex in the following topics:

• Defining Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

  • But have you ever been asked to provide your sex and your gender?
  • It may not have occurred to you that sex and gender are not the same.
  • Sex includes both primary sex characteristics (those related to the reproductive system) and secondary sex characteristics (those that are not directly related to the reproductive system, such as breasts and facial hair).
  • Typically, babies born with male sex characteristics (sex) are assigned as boys (gender); babies born with female sex characteristics (sex) are assigned as girls (gender). 
  • In humans, sex is typically divided into male, female, or intersex (i.e., having some combination of male and female sex characteristics).

• Sex and Physiology

  • Sex is biologically determined based on chromosomes, hormones, gonads, internal reproductive anatomy, and external genitalia.
  • "Sex" refers to physiological differences between male, female, and intersex bodies.
  • A person's sex includes both primary sex characteristics (those that are related to the reproductive system) and secondary sex characteristics (those unrelated to the reproductive system, such as breasts and facial hair).
  • In humans, biological sex is determined at birth, typically by doctors, through the observance of five factors:
  • In humans, sex is typically divided into male, female, or intersex.

• Cultural Influences on Sexual Motivation

  • As discussed in the previous concept, hormones such as testosterone and estrogen affect the sex drive biologically.
  • The American researcher Alfred Kinsey was also a major influence in changing 20th century attitudes about sex, and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction continues to be a major center for the study of human sexuality.
  • Some religions view sex as a sacred act between a man and a woman that should only be performed within marriage; other religions view certain kinds of sex as shameful or sinful, or stress that sex should only be engaged in for the purpose of procreation.
  • People have very differing views about how, what, when, and by whom children should be taught about sex.
  • Various psychological factors can also influence one's motivation for sex.

• Human Sexuality and Culture

  • Sexuality differs from biological sex, in that "sexuality" refers to the capacity for sexual feelings and attraction, while "biological sex" refers to how one's anatomy, physiology, hormones, and genetics are classified (typically as male, female, or intersex).
  • Societies that value monogamy, for example, are likely to oppose extramarital sex.
  • Some religions view sex as a sacred act between a man and a woman that should only be performed within marriage; other religions view certain kinds of sex as shameful or sinful, or stress that sex should only be engaged in for the purpose of procreation.
  • American culture is particularly restrictive in its attitudes about sex when it comes to women and sexuality.
  • People have very differing views about how, what, when, and by whom children should be taught about sex.

• Sexual Orientation

  • A person's sexual orientation is their emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex or gender.
  • "Bisexuality" was a term traditionally used to refer to attraction to individuals of either male or female sex, but it has recently been used in a less binary model of sex and gender (i.e., a model that does not assume there are only two sexes or two genders) to refer to attraction to any sex or gender.
  • Alternative terms such as "pansexuality" and "polysexuality" have also been developed, referring to attraction to all sexes/genders and attraction to multiple sexes/genders, respectively.
  • "Asexuality" refers to having no sexual attraction to any sex/gender.
  • Research done over several decades supports this idea that sexual orientation ranges along a continuum, from exclusive attraction to the opposite sex/gender to exclusive attraction to the same sex/gender.

• Gender as a Spectrum and Transgender Identities

  • Most Western societies operate on the idea that gender is a binary—that there are essentially only two genders (men and women) based on two sexes (male and female), and that everyone must fit one or the other.
  • This social dichotomy enforces conformance to the ideals of masculinity and femininity in all aspects of gender and sex—gender identity, gender expression, and biological sex.
  • In other societies, membership of any of the gender categories is open to people regardless of their sex.
  • Not all transgender individuals choose to alter their bodies or physically transition from one sex to another.
  • Those that identify with a gender that is different from the biological sex they were assigned at birth are called transgender.

• Sexual Orientation

  • Sexual orientation, or a person's emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female), influences their sexual motivation.
  • A person's sexual orientation is their emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex (male or female).
  • Sexual orientation is typically divided into four categories: heterosexuality, the attraction to individuals of the opposite sex; homosexuality, the attraction to individuals of one's own sex; bisexuality, the attraction to individuals of either sex; and asexuality, no attraction to either sex.
  • She coined the term "homosocial" to oppose "homosexual," describing non-sexual same-sex relations.
  • This can be illustrated by the way women in America can express homosocial feelings (nonsexual regard for people of the same sex) through hugging, handholding, and physical closeness.

• Discrimination Based on Sex and Gender

  • Sexism or gender discrimination is prejudice or discrimination based on a person's sex or gender.
  • Sexism can affect any sex that is marginalized or oppressed in a society; however, it is particularly documented as affecting females.
  • It has been linked to stereotypes and gender roles and includes the belief that males are intrinsically superior to other sexes and genders.
  • Occupational sexism involves discriminatory practices, statements, or actions, based on a person's sex, that occur in the workplace.
  • This graph illustrates the median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers, by sex, race, and ethnicity in the U.S., 2009.

• Gender and Sociology

  • From birth, children are assigned a gender and are socialized to conform to certain gender roles based on their biological sex.
  • "Sex" refers to physical or physiological differences between males, females, and intersex persons, including both their primary and secondary sex characteristics.
  • "Gender," on the other hand, refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with a given sex.
  • In this socialization process, children are introduced to certain roles that are typically linked to their biological sex.
  • Even people who identify as cisgender (identifying with the sex they were assigned at birth) and straight (attracted to the opposite sex) face repercussions if they step outside of their gender role in an obvious way.

• Chromosomes and Genes

  • Human chromosomes are divided into two types—autosomes and sex chromosomes.
  • Some genetic traits are linked to a person's sex and therefore passed on by the sex chromosomes.
  • All human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes by which genetic material is developed and characteristically demonstrated; 22 of these are autosomes, while the remaining pair (either XX, female, or XY, male) represents a person's sex chromosomes.