| Vasocongestion (vay-so-con-JES-tyun) | 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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| Myotonia (my-oh-TONE-ee-ah) | Muscle contraction.
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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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| Plateau | The second stage of sexual response, just before orgasm.
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| Orgasmic platform | A tightening of the entrance to the vagina caused by contractions of the bulbospongiosus muscle (which covers the vestibular bulbs) that occur during the plateau stage of sexual response.
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| Orgasm | The third stage of sexual response; an intense sensation that occurs at the peak of sexual arousal and is followed by release of sexual tensions.
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| Resolution | The fourth stage of sexual response, in which the body returns to the unaroused state.
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| Refractory period (ree-FRAK-toh-ree) | The period following orgasm during which the male cannot be sexually aroused.
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| Clitoral orgasm | Freud's term for orgasm in the female resulting from stimulation of the clitoris.
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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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| Multiple orgasm | A series of orgasms occurring within a short period of time.
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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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| 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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| Gräfenberg spot (GRAY-fen-berg) or G-spot | A hypothesized small region on the front wall of the vagina, emptying into the urethra, and responsible for female ejaculation.
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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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| Organizing effects of hormones | Effects of sex hormones early in development, resulting in a permanent change in the brain or reproductive system.
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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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| Pheromones (FARE-oh-mones) | Biochemicals secreted outside the body that are important in communication between animals and that may serve as sex attractants.
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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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