| Abortion | The ending of a pregnancy and the expulsion of the contents of the uterus; may be spontaneous or induced by human intervention.
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| Abstinence (sexual) | Not engaging in sexual activity.
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| Acculturation | The process of incorporating the beliefs and customs of a new culture.
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| Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) | A sexually transmitted disease that destroys the body’s natural immunity to infection.
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| Activating effects of hormones | Effects of sex hormones in adulthood resulting in the activation of behaviors, especially sexual behaviors and aggressive behaviors.
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| Adrenal gland | An endocrine gland located just above the kidney; in the female, it is the major producer of androgens.
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| Adrenarche | A time of increased secretion of adrenal androgens, usually just before age 8.
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| Adrenogenital syndrome | See congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
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| Adultery | Sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than her or his spouse.
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| Afterbirth | The placenta and amniotic sac, which come out after the baby during childbirth.
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| AIDS | See Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
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| Ambisexual | See bisexual.
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| Amenorrhea | The absence of menstruation.
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| Amniocentesis | A test done to determine whether a fetus has birth defects; done by removing amniotic fluid from the pregnant woman’s uterus.
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| Amniotic fluid | The watery fluid surrounding a developing fetus in the uterus.
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| Amyl nitrate | A drug, usually inhaled, that some people use to prolong or intensify orgasm.
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| Anal intercourse | Sexual behavior in which one person’s penis is inserted into another’s anus.
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| Analogous organs | Organs in the male and female that have similar functions.
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| Anaphrodisiac | A substance that decreases sexual desire.
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| Androgens | “Male” sex hormones, produced in the testes; an example is testosterone. In females, the adrenal glands produce androgens.
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| Androgyny | Having both feminine and masculine characteristics.
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| Andropause | The time of declining androgen levels in middle-aged men. The male version of menopause, also called ADAM (androgen decline in the aging male).
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| Anilingus | Mouth-anus stimulation.
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| Anorgasmia | The inability of a woman to orgasm; a sexual disorder.
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| Antigay prejudice | Negative attitudes and behaviors toward gays and lesbians. Also termed sexual prejudice.
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| Anus | The opening of the rectum, located between the buttocks.
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| Aphrodisiac | A substance that increases sexual desire.
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| Areola | The dark circular area of skin surrounding the nipple of the breast.
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| Artificial insemination | Artificially putting semen into the vagina or uterus for the purpose of inducing pregnancy.
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| Asceticism | An approach to life emphasizing discipline and impulse control.
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| Asexual | Without sexual desires.
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| Asphyxiophilia | A desire for a state of oxygen deprivation to enhance sexual arousal or orgasm.
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| Asymptomatic | Having no symptoms.
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| Attachment | A psychological bond that forms between an infant and the mother, father, or other care giver.
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| Autoeroticism | Sexual self-stimulation; masturbation is one example.
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| Axillary hair | Underarm hair.
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| AZT | A drug used to treat HIV-infected persons; also called ZDV.
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| Baby pro | A young prostitute, generally 16 years of age or younger.
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| Bartholin glands | Two tiny glands located on either side of the vaginal entrance.
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| Basal body temperature method | A method of rhythm birth control in which the woman determines when she ovulates by keeping track of her temperature.
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| Behavior modification | A set of operant conditioning techniques used to modify human behavior.
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| Behavior therapy | A system of therapy based on learning theory and focusing on the problem behavior, not the unconscious.
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| Bestiality | Sexual contact with an animal; also called zoophilia.
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| Bibliotherapy | The use of a self-help book to treat a disorder.
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| Bisexual | A person whose sexual orientation is toward men and women.
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| Blastocyst | A small mass of cells that results after several days of cell division by the fertilized egg.
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| Body-centered sex | Sexual expression in which the emphasis is on the body and physical pleasure.
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| Bondage | A type of sadomasochism in which sexual pleasure is derived from feeling restricted, usually by being tied up with ropes.
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| Bondage and discipline | The use of physical or psychological restraint to enforce servitude, from which both participants derive sensual pleasure.
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| Braxton-Hicks contractions | Contractions of the uterus during pregnancy that are not part of actual labor.
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| Breech presentation | Birth of a baby with buttocks or feet first.
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| Brothel | A house of prostitution.
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| Buccal smear | A test of genetic gender.
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| Bulbourethral glands | See Cowper’s glands.
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| Butch | A very masculine lesbian; may also refer to a very masculine gay man.
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| CAH | Congenital adrenal hyperphasia, a condition in which a genetic female produces abnormal levels of testosterone prenatally and therefore has male-appearing genitals at birth.
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| Calendar method | A type of rhythm method of birth control in which the woman determines when she ovulates by keeping a calendar record of the length of her menstrual cycles.
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| Call girl | The most expensive and exclusive category of prostitutes.
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| Candida albicans | A yeast or fungus in the vagina; if its growth gets out of control, it causes vaginitis, or irritation of the vagina, with an accompanying discharge.
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| Carpopedal spasm | A spastic contraction of the hands or feet which may occur during orgasm.
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| Castration | The removal (usually by means of surgery) of the gonads (the testes in men or the ovaries in women).
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| Celibate | Unmarried; also used to refer to someone who abstains from sexual activity.
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| Cervical cap | A birth control device similar to the diaphragm.
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| Cervical mucus method | A type of rhythm method of birth control in which the woman determines when she ovulates by checking her cervical mucus.
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| Cervix | The lower part of the uterus; the part next to the vagina.
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| Cesarean section | Surgical delivery of a baby through an incision in the abdominal and uterine walls.
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| Chancre | A painless open sore with a hard ridge around it; it is an early symptom of syphilis.
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| Chancroid | A sexually transmitted disease.
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| Chastity | Sexual abstinence.
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| Chlamydia | An organism causing a sexually transmitted disease.
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| Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) | A technique for early detection of birth defects in the fetus.
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| Cilia | Tiny hairlike structure lining the vas deferens and the fallopian tubes.
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| Circumcision | Surgical removal of the foreskin of the penis.
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| Classical conditioning | A learning process whereby a previously neutral stimulus (CS) is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US) that reflexively elicits an unconditioned response (UR). Eventually the CS will evoke the response.
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| Climacteric | See menopause.
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| Climax | An orgasm.
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| Clitoral orgasm | Freud’s term for orgasm in the female resulting from stimulation of the clitoris.
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| Clitoridectomy | Removal of the clitoris.
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| Clitoris | A small, highly sensitive sexual organ in the female, located in front of the vaginal entrance.
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| Cloning | Producing genetically identical individuals from a single parent.
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| Cognitive | Relating to mental activity, such as thought, perception, understanding.
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| Cognitive-behavioral therapy | A form of therapy that combines behavior therapy and restructuring of negative thought patterns.
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| Cognitive interference | Negative thoughts that distract a person from focusing on the erotic experience.
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| Cohabitation | Unmarried persons living together (with sexual relations assumed).
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| Coitus | Sexual intercourse, insertion of the penis into the vagina.
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| Coitus interruptus | See withdrawal.
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| Coitus reservatus | Sexual intercourse in which the man intentionally refrains from ejaculating.
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| Colostrum | A watery substance that is secreted from the breast at the end of pregnancy and during the first few days after delivery.
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| Combination pills | Birth control pills that contain a combination of estrogen and progesterone
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| Coming out | The process of acknowledging to oneself, and then to others, that one is gay or lesbian.
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| Companionate love | A feeling of deep attachment and commitment to a person with whom one has an intimate relationship.
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| Conceptus | The product of conception; sometimes used to refer to the embryo or fetus.
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| Condom | A sheath placed over the penis; used in the prevention of pregnancy and of sexually transmitted diseases.
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| Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) | A condition in which a genetic female has an abnormally functioning adrenal gland that produces an excess of androgens so that she is born with genitals that look like a male’s. Also called adrenogenital syndrome.
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| Congenital syphilis | A syphilis infection in a newborn baby resulting from transmission from an infected mother.
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| Content analysis | A set of procedures used to make valid inferences about text.
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| Contraceptive technique | A method of preventing conception.
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| Conversion therapy | Any one of a number of treatments designed to turn LBGs into heterosexuals.
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| Coprophilia | A sexual variation in which arousal is associated with defecation or feces.
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| Copulation | Sexual intercourse.
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| Corona | The rim of tissue between the glans and the shaft of the penis.
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| Corpora cavernosa | Two cylindrical masses of erectile tissue running the length of the penis; also present in the clitoris.
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| Corpus luteum | The mass of cells remaining after a follicle has released an egg; it secretes progesterone.
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| Corpus spongiosum | A cylinder of erectile tissue running the length of the penis.
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| Correlation | A number that measures the relationship between two variables.
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| Correlational study | A study in which the researcher does not manipulate variables but rather studies naturally occuring relationships (correlations) among variables.
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| Cost-benefit approach | An approach to analyzing the ethics of a research study, based on weighing the costs of the research against the benefits of the research.
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| Couvade | The experiencing of the symptoms of pregnancy and childbirth by a male.
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| Covert homosexual | A homosexual who is ‘‘in the closet,’’ who keeps his or her sexual orientation a secret.
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| Cowper’s glands | A pair of glands that secrete substances into the male’s urethra.
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| Crabs | See Pediculosis pubis.
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| Cramps | Painful menstruation, or dysmenorrhea.
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| Cremaster muscle | A muscle in the scrotum.
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| Cryptorchidism | Undescended testes.
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| Cul-de-sac | The end of the vagina, past the cervix.
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| Culdoscopy | A female sterilization procedure.
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| Cultivation | In communications theory, the view that exposure to the mass media makes people think that what they see there represents the mainstream of what really occurs.
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| Cunnilingus | Mouth stimulation of the female genitals.
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| Cystitis | Inflammation of the urinary bladder; the major symptom is a burning sensation while urinating.
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| Dartos muscle | A muscle in the scrotum.
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| Decriminalization | Removing criminal penalties for an activity that was previously defined as illegal.
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| Defloration | The rupture of a virgin’s hymen, through intercourse or other means.
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| Depo-Provera | A drug containing progestin; used as a form of birth control in women, as well as a treatment for male sex offenders.
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| Deprivation homosexuality | Homosexual activity that occurs in certain situations, such as prisons, when people are deprived of their regular heterosexual activity.
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| Detumescence | The return of an erect penis to the flaccid (unaroused) state.
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| Diaphragm | A cap-shaped rubber contraceptive device that fits inside a woman’s vagina over the cervix.
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| Diethylstilbestrol (DES) | A potent estrogen drug that was used for a “morning-after” pill.
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| Dilation | An opening up of the cervix during labor; also called dilatation.
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| Dildo | An artificial penis.
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| Discrepancy of sexual desire | A sexual disorder in which the partners have considerably different levels of sexual desire.
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| Documenting | Giving specific examples of the issue being discussed.
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| Dominance and submission | The use of power consensually given to control the sexual stimulation and behavior of the other person.
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| Don Juanism | Hypersexuality in a male.
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| Double standard | A standard in which premarital intercourse is considered acceptable for males but not for females.
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| Douche | To flush out the inside of the vagina with a liquid.
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| Drag queen | A male homosexual who dresses in women’s clothing.
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| Dualism | A religious or philosophical belief that body and spirit are separate and opposed to each other and that the goal of life is to free the spirit from the bondage of the body; thus a depreciation of the material world and the physical aspect of humanity.
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| Ductus deferens | See vas deferens.
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| Dysmenorrhea | Painful menstruation.
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| Dyspareunia | Painful intercourse.
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| Ectopic pregnancy | A pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the uterus.
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| Edema | An excessive fluid retention and swelling.
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| Editing | In communication, censoring or not saying things that would be deliberately hurtful to your partner or that are irrelevant.
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| Effacement | Thinning out of the cervix during labor.
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| Effective communicator | A communicator whose impact matches his or her intent.
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| Ego | According to Freud, the part of the personality that helps the person have realistic, rational interactions.
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| Ejaculation | The expulsion of semen from the penis, usually during orgasm.
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| Electra complex | In Freudian theory, a little girl’s sexual desires for her father; the female analogue of the Oedipus complex.
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| Embryo | In humans, the term used to refer to the unborn young from the first to the eighth week after conception.
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| Embryo transfer | A technique in which a fertilized, developing egg (embryo) is transferred from the uterus of one woman to the uterus of another woman.
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| Endocrine gland | A gland that secretes substances (hormones) directly into the bloodstream.
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| Endometriosis | A condition in which the endometrium grows in some place other than the uterus, such as the fallopian tubes.
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| Endometrium | The inner lining of the uterus.
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| Epididymis | Highly coiled tubules located on the edge of the testes; the site of sperm maturation.
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| Episiotomy | An incision that is sometimes made at the vaginal entrance during childbirth.
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| Equity theory | A theory that states that people mentally calculate the benefits and costs for them in a relationship; their behavior is then affected by whether they feel there is equity or inequity, and they will act to restore equity if there is inequity.
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| Erectile disorder | The inability to get or maintain an erection.
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| Erection | An enlargement and hardening of the penis which occurs during sexual arousal.
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| Erogenous zones | Areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to sexual stimulation.
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| Erotica | Sexually arousing material that is not degrading to women, men, or children.
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| Erotophilia | Feeling comfortable with sex, the opposite of erotophobia.
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| Erotophobia | Feeling guilty and fearful about sex.
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| Estrogens | A small group of “female” sex hormones; also produced in smaller quantities in males.
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| Estrus | The period of ovulation and sexual activity in nonhuman female mammals.
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| Ethics | A system of moral principles; a way of determining right and wrong.
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| Ethnocentrism | The tendency to regard one’s own ethnic group and culture as superior to others and to believe that its customs and way of life are the standards by which other cultures should be judged.
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| Eunuch | A castrated male.
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| Evolution | A theory that all living things have acquired their present forms through gradual changes in their genetic endowment over successive generations.
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| Evolutionary psychology | The study of psychological mechanisms that have been shaped by natural selection.
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| Excitement | The first stage of sexual response, during which erection in the male and vaginal lubrication in the female occur.
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| Exhibitionism | Showing one’s genitals in a public place, to passersby; indecent exposure.
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| Exhibitionist | A person who derives sexual gratification from exposing his or her genitals to others.
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| Experiment | A type of research study in which one variable is manipulated by the experimenter while all other factors are held constant.
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| Extramarital sex | Sexual activity by a married person with someone other than her or his spouse.
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| Failure rate | The pregnancy rate occuring using a particular contraceptive method; the percentage of women who will be pregnant after a year of use of the method.
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| Fallopian tube | The tube extending from the uterus to the ovary; also called the oviduct.
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| Fellatio | Mouth stimulation of the male genitals.
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| Female circumcision | Amputation of the clitoris.
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| Female impersonator | A man who dresses up as a woman as part of a job in entertainment.
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| Female orgasmic disorder | A sexual disorder in which the woman is unable to have an orgasm.
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| Female sexual arousal disorder | A lack of responding to sexual stimulation by a woman.
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| Femme | A feminine lesbian.
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| Fertility cult | A form of nature-religion in which the fertility of the soil is encouraged through various forms of ritual magic, often including ritual sexual intercourse.
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| Fertilization | The union of sperm and egg, resulting in conception.
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| Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) | Serious growth deficiency and malformations in a child born to a woman who abuses alcohol.
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| Fetishism | A sexual variation in which a person is sexually aroused by and attaches great erotic significance to an inanimate object.
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| Fetus | In humans, the term used to refer to the unborn young from the third month after conception until birth.
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| Fighting fair | A set of rules designed to make arguments constructive rather than destructive.
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| Fimbriae | Fingerlike projections at the end of the fallopian tube near the ovary.
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| First-stage labor | The beginning of labor during which there are regular contractions of the uterus; the stage lasts until the cervix is dilated 8 centimeters (3 inches).
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| Fitness | In evolutionary theory, an individual’s reproductive success.
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| Flaccid | Not erect.
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| Follicle | The capsule of cells surrounding an egg in the ovary.
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| Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | A hormone secreted by the pituitary; it stimulates follicle development in females and sperm production in males.
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| Follicular phase | The first phase of the menstrual cycle, beginning just after menstruation.
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| Foreskin | The sheath of skin covering the tip of the penis in an uncircumcised male.
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| Form fetish | A fetish whose object is a particular shape, such as high-heeled shoes.
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| Fornication | Sexual intercourse between two unmarried people.
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| Fourchette | The place where the inner lips come together behind the vaginal opening.
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| Frenulum | A highly sensitive area of skin on the underside of the penis next to the glans.
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| Frequency | How often a person does something.
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| Frigidity | Lack of sexual response in a woman.
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| Gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) | A procedure in which sperm and eggs are collected and then inserted together into the fallopian tube.
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| Gametes | Sperm or eggs.
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| Gay | Homosexual; particularly a male homosexual.
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| Gay bar | A cocktail lounge catering to lesbians or gays.
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| Gay baths | Clubs where gay men can socialize; features include a swimming pool or whirlpool and access to casual sex.
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| Gender | The state of being male or female.
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| Gender dysphoria | See transsexual.
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| Gender identity | The psychological sense of one’s own maleness or femaleness.
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| Gender identity disorder (GID) | A strong and persistent cross-gender identification.
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| Gender role | A cluster of socially defined expectations that people of one gender are expected to fulfill.
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| Genital herpes | A sexually transmitted disease, the symptoms of which are small, painful bumps or blisters on the genitals.
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| Genitals | The sexual or reproductive organs.
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| Genital warts | A sexually transmitted disease causing warts on the genitals, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
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| Gerontophilia | Sexual attraction to the elderly.
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| Gestation | The period of pregnancy; the time from conception until birth.
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| GIFT | See Gamete intra-fallopian transfer.
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| Gigolo | A male who sells his sexual services to women.
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| Glans | The tip of the penis or clitoris.
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| GnRH | A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that regulates the pituitary’s secretion of gonad-stimulating hormones.
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| Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (Gn-RH) | A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus that regulates the pituitary’s secretion of hormones.
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| Gonadotropins | Pituitary hormones (FSH, LH) that stimulate the activity of the gonads.
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| Gonads | The ovaries or testes.
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| Gonorrhea | A common sexually transmitted disease.
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| Gossypol | A substance used as a male contraceptive in China.
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| Gräfenberg spot (G spot) | A hypothesized small gland on the front wall of the vagina, emptying into the urethra, which may be responsible for female ejaculation.
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| Granuloma inguinale | A rare sexually transmitted disease.
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| Gynecomastia | Temporary enlargement of a male’s breasts during puberty.
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| Hedonism | A moral system based on maximizing pleasure and avoiding pain.
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| Hegar’s sign | A sign of pregnancy based on a test done by a physician, in which a softening of the uterus is detected.
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| Hepatitis B | A disease that can be transmitted by anal intercourse or oral-anal sex.
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| Hermaphrodite | A person with both male and female sex glands, that is, both ovaries and testicular tissue (see also pseudohermaphrodite).
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| Herpes genitalis | A disease characterized by painful bumps on the genitals.
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| Heterosexual | A person who is sexually attracted to members of the other gender.
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| HIV | Human Immune Deficiency Virus, the virus that causes AIDS.
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| Homologous organs | Organs in the male and female that develop from the same embryonic tissue.
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| Homophily | The tendency to have contact with people equal in social status.
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| Homophobia | Strong, irrational fear of homosexuality.
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| Homoseductive mother | Bieber’s term for the mother who is seductive toward her son, traumatizing the boy and turning him into a homosexual.
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| Homosexual | A person whose sexual orientation is toward members of her or his own gender.
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| Homosocial | A pattern of social grouping in which boys associate with other boys and girls associate with other girls.
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| Hormones | Chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands into the bloodstream.
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| HPV | Human papilloma virus, the organism that causes genital warts.
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| HSV | The herpes simplex virus.
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| Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) | A hormone produced by the placenta; HCG is what is detected in most pregnancy tests.
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| Humanism | A philosophical system which denies a divine origin for mortality and holds that ethical judgments must be made on the basis of human experience and human reason.
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| Human papillomavirus (HPV) | The organism that causes genital warts.
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| Hustlers | Male prostitutes who sell their services to other males.
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| Hyaluronidase | An enzyme secreted by the sperm that allows one to penetrate the egg.
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| Hymen | A membrane that partially covers the vaginal opening.
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| Hypersexuality | An excessive, insatiable sex drive.
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| Hypothalamus | A part of the brain which is important in regulating certain body functions including sex hormone production.
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| Hysterectomy | Surgical removal of the uterus.
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| Hysterotomy | A method of abortion sometimes used during the second trimester.
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| I language | Speaking for yourself, using the word "I," not mind reading.
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| Id | In Freudian theory, the part of the personality containing the libido or sex drive.
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| Immediate causes | Various factors that occur in the act of lovemaking that inhibit sexual response.
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| Impact | What someone else understands the speaker to mean.
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| Imperforate hymen | A condition where the hymen is unusually thick and covers the vaginal entrance completely.
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| Implantation | The burrowing of the fertilized egg into the lining of the uterus.
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| Impotence | See erectile disorder.
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| Impregnate | To make pregnant.
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| In-call service | A residence in which prostitutes work regular shifts, selling sexual services on an hourly basis.
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| Incest | Sexual activity between close relatives, such as a brother and sister.
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| Incest taboo | A regulation prohibiting sexual activity between blood relatives.
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| Incidence | The percentage of people giving a particular response.
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| Infertility | A woman’s inability to conceive and give birth to a child, or a man’s inability to impregnate a woman.
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| Infibulation | A ritual practice of cutting off the inner lips of the vagina and sewing together the outer lips, making intercourse impossible.
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| Informed consent | An ethical principle in research, in which participants have a right to be informed, before participating, of what they will be asked to do.
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| Inguinal canal | In the male, the passageway from the abdomen to the scrotum through which the testes usually descend shortly before birth.
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| Inhibin | Substance produced by the testes and ovaries, which regulates FSH levels.
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| Inner lips | Thin folds of skin on either side of the vaginal entrance.
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| Intent | What the speaker means.
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| Intercoder reliability | In content analysis, the correlation or percent of agreement between two coders independently rating the same texts.
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| Intercourse (sexual) | Sexual activity in which the penis is inserted into the vagina; coitus (see also anal intercourse).
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| Interfemoral intercourse | Sexual activity in which the penis moves between the partner’s thighs.
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| Intersex | An individual who has a mixture of male and female reproductive structures, so that it is not clear at birth whether the individual is a male or a female. Also called a pseudohermaphrodite.
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| Interstitial cells | Cells in the testes which manufacture male sex hormones; also called Leydig cells.
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| Intimacy | The level of commitment and positive affective, cognitive, and physical closeness one experiences with a partner.
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| Intrauterine device (IUD) | A plastic or metal device that is inserted into the uterus for contraceptive purposes.
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| Introitus | Entrance to the vagina.
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| Intromission | Insertion of the penis into the vagina.
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| In vitro fertilization (IVF) | A technique in which sperm and egg are mixed outside the body in a laboratory dish, so that conception can occur.
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| John | Slang term for a prostitute’s customer.
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| Kaposi’s sarcoma | A rare form of skin cancer to which AIDS patients are susceptible.
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| Kegel exercises | Exercises to strengthen the muscle surrounding the genitals.
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| Kiddie porn | Pictures or films of sexual acts with children.
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| Labia majora | See outer lips.
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| Labia minora | See inner lips.
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| Labor | The series of stages involved in giving birth.
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| Lactation | Secretion of milk from the female’s breasts.
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| Lamaze method | A method of “prepared” childbirth involving relaxation and controlled breathing.
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| Laparoscopy | A method of female sterilization.
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| Late syphilis | The fourth and final stage of syphilis, during which the disease does damage to major organs of the body such as the lungs, heart, or brain.
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| Latent syphilis | The third stage of syphilis, which may last for years, during which symptoms disappear although the person is still infected.
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| Latinos | People of Latin American origin.
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| Legalism | Ethics based on the assumption that there are rules for human conduct and that morality consists of knowing the rules and obeying them.
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| Lesbian | A female homosexual.
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| Leveling | In communication, telling your partner what you are feeling by stating your thoughts clearly, simply, and honestly.
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| Leydig cells | See interstitial cells.
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| Libido | The sex drive.
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| Lifespan development | Development from birth through old age.
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| Limbic system | A set of structures in the interior of the brain, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and fornix; believed to be important for sexual behavior in both animals and humans.
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| Lochia | A discharge from the uterus and vagina that occurs during the first few weeks after childbirth.
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| Love story | A story about what love should be like, including characters, a plot, and a theme.
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| Low sexual desire | See hypoactive sexual desire.
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| Lumpectomy | A surgical treatment for breast cancer in which only the lump and a small bit of surrounding tissue are removed.
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| Luteal phase | The third phase of the menstrual cycle, following ovulation.
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| Luteinizing hormone (LH) | A hormone secreted by the pituitary. In females, it causes ovulation.
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| Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) | A virus-caused disease affecting the lymph glands in the genital region.
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| Madam | A woman who manages a brothel.
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| Male condom | A contraceptive sheath that is placed over the penis.
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| Male orgasmic disorder | See retarded ejaculation.
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| Male-to-female transsexual | A person who is born with a male body but who has a female identity and wishes to become a female biologically in order to match her identity.
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| Mammary gland | The milk-producing part of the breast.
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| Mammography | X-rays for diagnosing breast cancer.
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| Marital rape | The rape of a person by her or his spouse.
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| Masochism | A sexual variation in which the person derives sexual pleasure from experiencing physical or mental pain.
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| Massage parlor | A place where massages, as well as sexual services, can generally be purchased.
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| Mastectomy | Surgical removal of the breast.
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| Masturbation | Self-stimulation of the genitals to produce sexual arousal.
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| Matching phenomenon | The tendency for men and women to choose as partners people who match them, that is, who are similar in attitudes, intelligence, and attractiveness.
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| Mean | The average of respondents’ scores.
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| Media fetish | A fetish whose object is anything made of a particular substance, such as leather.
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| Medical model | A theoretical model in psychology and psychiatry in which mental problems are thought of as sickness or mental illness; the problems in turn are often thought to be due to biological factors.
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| Menage à trois | A sexual relationship involving three people.
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| Menarche | The first menstruation.
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| Menopause | The gradual cessation of menstruation in a woman, generally at around age 50.
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| Menses | The menstrual flow.
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| Menstrual synchrony | The convergence, over several months, of the dates of onset of menstrual periods among women who are in close contact with each other.
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| Menstruation | A bloody discharge of the lining of the uterus, generally occurring about once a month in women.
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| Mere-exposure effect | The tendency to like someone more if we have been exposed to them repeatedly.
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| Midwife | A person (often a nurse) trained as a birth attendant.
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| Mind reading | Making assumptions about what your partner thinks or feels.
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| Minilaparotomy | A method of female sterilization.
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| Mini-pill | A birth control pill containing a low dose of progesterone and no estrogen.
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| Misattribution of arousal | When one is in a stage of physiological arousal (e.g., from exercising or being in a frightening situation), attributing these feelings to love or attraction to the person present.
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| Miscarriage | A pregnancy that terminates on its own; spontaneous abortion.
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| Miscegenation | Sex between two people of different races.
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| Mittelschmerz | Abdominal cramps at the time of ovulation.
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| Monilia | A yeast infection of the vagina.
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| Monogamy | The pairing of one person with just one other person in a long-term relationship in which neither engages in sexual activity with anyone else.
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| Mons pubis | The fatty pad of tissue under the pubic hair; also called the mons or mons veneris.
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| Moralism | A religious or philosophical attitude that emphasizes moral behavior, usually according to strict standards, as the highest goal of human life. Moralists tend to favor strict regulation of human conduct to help make people good.
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| Morning-after pill | A pill which can be used in emergency situations for preventing pregnancy after intercourse has occurred.
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| Mucosa | Mucous membrane.
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| Müllerian ducts | In the embryo, a pair of ducts that eventually become part of the female reproductive system.
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| Multiparous | A term used to refer to a woman who has had more than one baby.
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| Multiple orgasm | A series of orgasms occurring within a short period of time.
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| Myotonia | Muscle contraction.
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| Natural selection | A process in nature resulting in greater rates of survival of those plants and animals that are adapted to their environment.
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| Necrophilia | A sexual variation involving having sexual contact with a dead person.
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| Negative Oedipus complex | Freud’s term for the opposite of the Oedipus complex; in the negative Oedipus complex the child loves and sexually desires the parent of the same gender and identifies with the parent of the other gender.
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| Nipples | The pigmented tip of the breast, through which milk goes when a woman is breast-feeding.
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| Nocturnal emission | Involuntary orgasm and ejaculation while asleep.
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| Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) | An inflammation of the male’s urethra not caused by gonorrhea.
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| Nonspecific vaginitis | A form of vaginitis caused by an anaerobic bacterium.
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| Nonverbal communication | Communication not through words, but through the body (eye contact, tone of voice, touching).
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| Norplant | An implanted progestin-only contraceptive for women.
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| Nulliparous | A term used to refer to a woman who has never given birth to a baby.
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| Nymphomania | An excessive, insatiable sex drive in a woman.
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| Obscenity | Something that is offensive according to accepted standards of decency, the legal term for pornography.
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| Oedipus complex | In Freudian theory, the sexual attraction of a little boy to his mother.
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| Onanism | Withdrawal of the penis from the vagina before ejaculation; sometimes also used to refer to masturbation.
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| Oophorectomy | Surgical removal of the ovaries.
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| Operant conditioning | The process of changing the frequency of a behavior (the operant) by following it with reinforcement or punishment.
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| Operational definition | Defining a concept or term by how it is measured.
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| Oral-genital sex | Sexual activity in which the mouth is used to stimulate the genitals.
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| Orchidectomy | Surgical removal of the testes.
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| Organic causes of sexual disorders | Physical factors, such as disease or injury, that cause sexual disorders.
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| Organizing effects of hormones | Effects of sex hormones early in development, resulting in permanent changes in the brain or reproductive system.
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| Orgasm | An intense sensation that occurs at the peak of sexual arousal and is followed by release of sexual tension.
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| Orgasmic platform | The thickening of the walls of the outer third of the vagina that occurs during sexual arousal.
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| Out-call service | A service that sends a prostitute to a location specified by the client to provide sexual services.
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| Outer lips | The fatty pads of tissue lying on either side of the vaginal opening and inner lips.
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| Ovaries | The paired sex glands in the female which produce ova (eggs) and sex hormones.
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| Overt homosexual | A homosexual who is ‘‘out of the closet,’’ who is open about his or her sexual orientation.
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| Oviduct | Fallopian tube.
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| Ovulation | Release of an egg by the ovaries.
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| Ovum | Egg.
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| Oxytocin | A hormone secreted by the pituitary which stimulates the contractions of the uterus during childbirth; also involved in breast-feeding.
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| Panderer | The person who helps the prostitute and client find each other.
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| Pap test | The test for cervical cancer.
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| Paraphilia | A sexual variation; erotic attraction to unusual things or behaviors.
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| Paraphrasing | Saying, in your own words, what you thought your partner meant.
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| Participant-observer technique | A research method in which the scientist becomes part of the community to be studied and makes observations from inside the community.
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| Parturition | Childbirth.
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| Passionate love | A state of intense longing for union with another person and of intense physiological arousal.
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| Pederasty | Sexual relations between a man and a boy; sometimes also used to mean anal intercourse.
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| Pediculosis pubis | Lice attaching themselves to the roots of the pubic hair; crabs.
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| Pedophilia | A sexual variation in which an adult is sexually attracted to children; child molesting.
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| Peggy Lee syndrome | The feelings of disappointment experienced by teenage girls at first intercourse when it is not as thrilling as they expected.
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| Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) | Infection of the pelvic organs such as the fallopian tubes.
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| Penile prosthesis | A surgical treatment for erectile dysfunction, in which inflatable tubes are inserted into the penis.
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| Penile strain gauge | A device used to measure physiological sexual arousal in the male.
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| Penis | A male sexual organ, which functions both in sexual activity and urination.
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| Perineum | The area between the vaginal opening and the anus.
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| Period | The menstrual period.
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| Permissiveness with affection | A standard in which premarital intercourse is considered acceptable if it occurs in the context of a loving, committed relationship.
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| Permissiveness without affection | A standard in which premarital intercourse is acceptable without emotional commitment.
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| Person-centered sex | Sexual expression in which the emphasis is on the relationship and emotions between the two people.
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| Perversion | A sexual deviation.
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| Phallus | Penis.
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| Pheromones | Chemical substances secreted outside the body that are important in communication between animals and may serve as sex attractants.
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| Phimosis | A condition in which the foreskin of the penis is so tight that it cannot be pulled back.
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| Photoplethysmograph | A device used to measure physiological sexual arousal in the female.
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| Pimp | A prostitute’s protector, companion, and master.
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| Pituitary gland | A gland located on the lower surface of the brain; it secretes several hormones important to sexual and reproductive functioning.
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| Placenta | An organ formed on the wall of the uterus through which the fetus receives oxygen and nutrients and gets rid of waste products.
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| Plateau phase | Masters and Johnson’s term for the second phase of sexual response, occurring just before orgasm.
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| Pluralism | A philosophical or political attitude that affirms the value of many competing opinions and believes that the truth is discovered in the clash of diverse perspectives. Pluralists, therefore, believe in the maximum human freedom possible.
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| Polygamy | Marriage in which a man has more than one wife or a woman has more than one husband.
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| Polymorphous perverse | Freud’s term for the infant’s indiscriminate, undifferentiated sexuality.
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| Population | A group of people a researcher wants to study and make conclusions about.
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| Pornography | Sexually arousing art, literature, or films.
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| Postpartum | The period of time following childbirth.
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| Postpartum depression | Mild to moderate depression in women following the birth of a baby.
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| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Long-term psychological distress suffered by someone who has experienced a terrifying event.
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| Preeclampsia | A serious disease of pregnancy, marked by high blood pressure, severe edema, and proteinuria.
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| Premarital intercourse | Intercourse before marriage.
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| Premature ejaculation | A sexual disorder in which the male ejaculates too soon.
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| Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) | A combination of severe physical and psychological symptoms (such as depression and irritability) occurring in some women just before menstruation.
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| Prenatal period | The time from conception to birth.
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| Prepuce | Foreskin.
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| Preterm birth | An infant born weighing only 2500 grams (5 pounds) or less.
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| Priapism | A rare condition in which erections are long-lasting and painful.
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| Primary erectile disorder | An erectile disorder in which the man has never had an erection sufficient to have intercourse.
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| Primary orgasmic disorder | A case of female orgasmic disorder in which the woman has never in her life had an orgasm.
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| Primary-stage syphilis | The first few weeks of a syphilis infection during which the chancre is present.
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| Primipara | A woman having her first baby.
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| Prior learning | Things that people have learned earlier—for example, in childhood—that now affect their sexual response.
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| Probability sampling | An excellent method of sampling in research, in which each member of the population has a known probability of being included in the sample.
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| Problem of refusal or nonresponse | The problem that some people will refuse to participate in a sex survey, thus making it difficult to have a random sample.
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| Progesterone | A female sex hormone produced by the corpus luteum in the ovary.
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| Prolactin | A hormone secreted by the pituitary; it is involved in lactation.
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| Promiscuous | A term used to refer to someone who engages in sexual activity with many different people.
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| Prophylactic | A drug or device used to prevent disease, often specifically sexually transmitted disease; often used to mean “condom.”
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| Prostaglandin abortion | A method of abortion that is done in the late second trimester and involves inducing labor by injecting prostaglandins into the amniotic sac.
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| Prostaglandins | Chemicals that stimulate contractions of the muscles of the uterus; the likely cause of painful menstruation.
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| Prostate | The gland in the male, located below the bladder, that secretes some of the fluid in semen.
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| Prostatectomy | Surgical removal of the prostate.
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| Prostatitis | An infection or inflammation of the prostate gland.
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| Prostitute | A person who engages in sexual acts in return for money or drugs and does so in a promiscuous, fairly nondiscriminating fashion.
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| Prostitution | Indiscriminate sexual activity in return for money or drugs.
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| Pseudocyesis | False pregnancy, in which the woman displays the signs of pregnancy but is not pregnant.
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| Pseudohermaphrodite | An individual who has a mixture of male and female reproductive structures, so that it is not clear whether the individual is a male or a female.
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| Psychoanalytic theory | A psychological theory originated by Freud; its basic assumption is that part of the human psyche is unconscious.
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| Puberty | The period of time during which the body matures from that of a child to that of an adult capable of reproducing.
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| Pubic hair | Hair on the lower abdomen and genital area, appearing at puberty.
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| Pubic lice | See Pediculosis pubis.
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| Pubococcygeal muscle | A muscle around the vaginal entrance.
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| Pudendum | The external genitals of the female.
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| Purposeful distortion | Purposely giving false information on a survey.
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| Radical mastectomy | A surgical treatment for breast cancer in which the entire breast, as well as underlying muscle and lymph nodes, are removed.
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| Random sampling | An excellent method of sampling in research, in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
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| Rape | Nonconsenting oral, anal, or vaginal penetration obtained by force, by threat of bodily harm, or when the victim is incapable of giving consent.
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| Rape trauma syndrome | The emotional and physical effects a woman undergoes following a rape or attempted rape.
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| Refractory period | The period following orgasm during which the person cannot be sexually aroused.
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| Resolution phase | Masters and Johnson’s term for the last phase of sexual response, in which the body returns to the unaroused state.
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| Retarded ejaculation | A sexual disorder in which the male cannot have an orgasm even though he is highly aroused. Also called male orgasmic disorder.
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| Retrograde ejaculation | A condition in which orgasm in the male is not accompanied by an external ejaculation; instead, the ejaculate goes into the urinary bladder.
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| Rhythm method | A method of birth control that involves abstaining from sexual intercourse during the fertile days of the woman’s menstrual cycle.
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| RU-486 | A new pill that produces a very early abortion.
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| Sadism | A sexual variation in which the person derives sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on someone else.
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| Saline-induced abortion | A method of abortion that is done in the late second trimester and involves inducing labor by injecting a saline solution into the amniotic sac.
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| Saliromania | A desire to damage or soil a woman or her clothes.
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| Salpingectomy | See tubal ligation.
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| Salpingitis | Infection of the fallopian tubes.
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| Sample | A part of a population.
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| Satyriasis | An excessive, insatiable sex drive in a male.
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| Schema | A general knowledge framework a person has about a given topic, e.g., a gender schema.
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| Scoptophilia | A sexual variation in which the person becomes sexually aroused from viewing others’ sexual acts.
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| Scripts | What we have learned to be appropriate sequences of behavior.
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| Scrotum | The pouch of skin that contains the testes.
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| Secondary erectile disorder | An erectile disorder in which the man at one time was able to have satisfactory erections but now no longer is.
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| Secondary orgasmic disorder | A case of female orgasmic disorder in which the woman had orgasms at some time in her life but no longer does so.
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| Secondary sex characteristics | The physical characteristics, other than the sex organs, that distinguish the male from the female; examples are the woman’s breasts and the man’s beard.
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| Secondary-stage syphilis | The second stage of syphilis, occurring several months after infection, during which the chancre has disappeared and a generalized body rash appears.
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| Second-stage labor | The stage during which the baby moves out through the vagina and is delivered.
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| Self-disclosure | Telling personal things about yourself.
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| Self-efficacy | A sense of competence at performing an activity.
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| Semen | The fluid that is ejaculated from the penis during orgasm; it contains sperm.
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| Seminal vesicles | The two organs lying on either side of the prostate, which secrete much of the fluid in semen.
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| Seminiferous tubules | Highly coiled tubules in the testes that manufacture sperm.
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| Sensate focus exercises | Exercises prescribed by sex therapists to increase sexual response.
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| Serial monogamy | A premarital sexual pattern in which there is an intention of being faithful to the partner, but the relationship may end and the person may then move on to another partner.
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| Sex-change operation | The surgery done on transsexuals to change their anatomy to the other gender.
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| Sex-determining Region, Y chromosome (SRY) | A region on the Y chromosome that causes testes to differentiate prenatally. Also called testis-determining factor (TDF).
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| Sex flush | A rashlike condition on the skin that occurs during sexual arousal.
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| Sexual behavior | Behavior that produces arousal and increases the chance of orgasm.
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| Sexual disorder | A problem with sexual responding that causes a person mental distress; examples are erectile disorder in men and anorgasmia in women; also called sexual dysfunction.
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| Sexual dissatisfaction | Masters and Johnson’s term for homosexuals who are unhappy with their sexual orientation and seek therapy to become heterosexual.
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| Sexual fantasy | Sexual thoughts or images that alter the person’s emotions or physiological state.
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| Sexual harassment | Unwanted imposition of sexual requirements in the context of a relationship of unequal power, such as an employer and an employee.
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| Sexual identity | A person’s sense of his or her own sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.
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| Sexual orientation | A person’s erotic and emotional orientation toward members of his or her own gender or members of the other gender.
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| Sexual selection | An evolutionary theory proposed to explain gender differences in processes of mate selection.
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| Sexuality education | The lifelong process of acquiring information about sexual behavior and forming attitudes, beliefs, and values about identity, relationships, and intimacy.
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| SIECUS | The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, an organization devoted to fostering sex education.
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| Situational orgasmic disorder | A case of orgasmic disorder in which the woman is able to have an orgasm in some situations (e.g., while masturbating) but not in others (e.g., while having sexual intercourse).
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| Situationism | Ethics based on the assumption that there are no absolute rules, or at least very few, and that each situation must be judged individually.
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| Sixty-nining | Simultaneous mouth-genital stimulation.
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| Skene’s glands | Glands opening into the urethra.
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| Smegma | A cheesy substance formed under the foreskin of the penis.
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| Socialization | The ways in which society conveys to the individual its norms or expectations for his or her behavior.
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| Sociobiology | A theory that applies evolutionary biology to understanding the social behavior of animals, including humans.
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| Sodomy | Originally “crimes against nature”; in contemporary laws, oral and anal intercourse.
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| Somatic cell nuclear transfer | A cloning technique that involves substituting genetic material from an adult’s cell for the nucleus of an egg.
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| Spectatoring | Acting as an observer or judge of one’s own sexual performance.
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| Sperm | The mature male reproductive cell, capable of fertilizing an egg.
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| Spermatogenesis | The production of sperm.
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| Sperm bank | A place that stores frozen sperm for later use.
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| Spermicide | A substance that kills sperm.
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| Spirochete | A spiral-shaped bacterium; one kind causes syphilis.
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| Squeeze technique | A form of therapy for premature ejaculation.
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| Statutory rape | Sexual relations with a person who is below the legal “age of consent.”
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| Stereotype | A generalization about a group of people (e.g., men) that distinguishes them from others (e.g., women).
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| Sterile | Incapable of reproducing.
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| Sterilization | A procedure by which an individual is made incapable of reproducing.
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| Steroids | A group of chemical substances including the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
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| Straight | Heterosexual.
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| Streetwalker | A lower-status prostitute who walks the streets selling sexual services.
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| Structural functionalism | A sociological theory that views society as an interrelated set of structures that function together to maintain that society.
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| Subincision | A form of male genital cutting in which a slit is made on the lower side of the penis along it entire length.
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| Supercision | A form of male genital cutting in which a slit is made the length of the foreskin.
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| Superego | According to Freud, the part of the personality containing the conscience.
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| Surrogate | A member of a sex therapy team who serves as a sexual partner for the client while in therapy.
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| Surrogate mother | A woman who, through artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization, gestates a fetus for someone else.
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| Swinging | A form of extramarital sex in which married couples exchange partners.
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| Sympto-thermal method | A type of rhythm method of birth control combining both the basal body temperature method and the cervical mucus method.
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| Syphilis | A sexually transmitted disease.
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| Tearoom trade | Impersonal sex in public places such as restrooms.
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| Teratogen | A substance that produces defects in the fetus.
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| Test-retest reliability | A method for determining whether self-reports are reliable or accurate; people are tested and then tested a second time some time later to determine whether their answers are the same both times.
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| Testes | The sex glands of the male, located in the scrotum; they manufacture sperm and sex hormones.
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| Testicle | A testis.
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| Testis-determining factor (TDF) | A gene on the Y chromosome that causes testes to differentiate prenatally.
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| Testosterone | A hormone secreted by the testes in the male; it maintains secondary sex characteristics. It is also secreted in smaller amounts in the female.
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| Third-stage labor | The stage during which the afterbirth is expelled.
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| Toxemia | A dangerous disease of pregnancy.
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| Toxic shock syndrome | A sometimes fatal disease associated with tampon use.
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| Transgender | A transsexual.
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| Transition | The difficult part of labor at the end of the first stage, during which the cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches).
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| Transsexual | A person who feels that he or she is trapped in the body of the wrong gender; a person who undergoes a sex-change operation.
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| Transvestism | Dressing in the clothing of the other gender.
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| Tribadism | A sexual technique in which one woman lies on top of another, moving rhythmically to produce sexual pleasure.
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| Trichomoniasis | A vaginal infection.
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| Trimester | Three months.
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| Triphasic model | Kaplan’s model of sexual response in which there are three phases: vasocongestion, muscular contractions, and sexual desire.
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| Triphasic pill | A birth control pill containing a steady level of estrogen and three phases of progesterone, intended to mimic more closely women’s natural hormonal cycles.
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| Troilism | A sexual variation in which three people engage in sexual activity together.
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| Tubal ligation | A surgical method of female sterilization; also called salpingectomy.
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| Tumescence | Swelling due to congestion with body fluids; erection.
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| Two-component theory of love | Berscheid and Walster’s theory that two conditions must exist simultaneously for passionate love to occur: physiological arousal and attaching a cognitive label (‘‘love’’) to the feeling.
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| Tyson’s glands | Glands under the foreskin of the penis that secrete a cheesy substance called smegma.
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| Umbilical cord | The tube that connects the fetus to the placenta.
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| Urethra | The tube through which urine leaves the bladder and passes out of the body; in males, also the tube through which semen is discharged.
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| Urophilia (or urolagnia) | A sexual variation in which the person derives sexual pleasure from urine or urination.
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| Uterus | The organ in the female in which the fetus develops.
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| Vacuum aspiration | A method of abortion that is performed during the first trimester.
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| Vagina | The barrel-shaped organ in the female into which the penis is inserted during intercourse and through which a baby passes during birth.
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| Vaginal orgasm | Freud’s term for orgasm in the female resulting from stimulation of the vagina in heterosexual intercourse; Freud considered vaginal orgasm to be more mature than clitoral orgasm.
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| Vaginal ring | An experimental device for contraception.
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| Vaginismus | A strong, spastic contraction of the muscles around the vagina, closing off the vaginal entrance and making intercourse impossible.
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| Vaginitis | An inflammation or irritation of the vagina, usually due to infection.
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| Validation | Telling your partner that, given his or her point of view, you can see why he or she thinks a certain way.
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| Varicocele | Essentially, varicose veins in the testes; may be related to infertility in men.
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| Vas deferens | The ducts through which sperm pass on their way from the testes to the urethra.
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| Vasectomy | A surgical procedure for male sterilization involving severing of the vas deferens.
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| Vasocongestion | An accumulation of blood in the blood vessels of a region of the body, especially the genitals; a swelling or erection results.
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| Venereal disease | A disease transmitted primarily by sexual contact.
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| Vestibular bulbs | Erectile tissue running under the inner lips.
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| Viagra | A drug used in the treatment of erectile disorder.
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| Victim-precipitated | The vew that rape is a result of a woman ‘‘asking for it.’’
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| Viral hepatitis | See hepatitis B.
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| Virgin | A person who has never had sexual intercourse.
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| Volunteer bias | A problem in sex research caused by some people refusing to participate, so that those who are in the sample are volunteers who may in some ways differ from those who refuse to participate.
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| Voyeurism | A sexual variation in which the person derives sexual pleasure from watching nudes; also called peeping Tomism. See also scoptophilia.
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| Vulva | The collective term for the external genitals of the female; includes the mons, clitoris, inner and outer lips, and vaginal and urethral openings.
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| Warts | See genital warts.
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| Wassermann test | A blood test for syphilis.
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| Wet dream | See nocturnal emission.
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| Withdrawal | A method of birth control in which the male withdraws his penis from the vagina before he ejaculates.
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| Wolffian ducts | Embryonic ducts which form part of the male’s reproductive system.
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| Womb | See uterus.
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| Zoophilia | See bestiality.
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| Zygote | The fertilized egg.
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| Zygote intra-fallopian transfer (ZIFT) | A procedure in which an egg fertilized by sperm in a laboratory dish (zygote) is place into the fallopian tube.
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