Grade 8-Health

Unit 1: Gender and
Human Sexuality
Grade 8- Health
What is human sexuality?
It is the measurement of maleness (masculinity),
and femaleness (femininity) of one’s individuality
and physical makeup.
SEX
Sex is the biological characteristics of being a boy or a
girl as evidenced and proven by the person’s internal and
external reproductive parts. It can be identified right
away after fertilization as half of the chromosomes from
the mother combines with half of the chromosomes from
the father.
XY - male
XX- female
Gender
This concept refers to the behavior and attitude that we are expected
to display as members of civil society. It includes our roles and
activities that we exhibit according to our sex. Men are supposed to
project a masculine character while women should project a feminine
nature. Male and female are two genders that society accepts, but
several social groups consider that gender is also a choice and not a
universal standard imposed by society.
LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender)
House Bill No. 4982 - Known as the Sexual Orientation,

Gender Identity, and Expression Equality Bill (Sogie
Bill) aims to give fundamental rights and to protect the
LGBT community from discrimination of the society. It is
such a controversial bill still being processed by the
Senate if it’s going to become a law in the future.
What are the Dimensions of Human
Sexuality?
Human sexuality is composed of three fundamental

dimensions: biological, psychological and sociocu
ltural. All three should be present and
considered to determine human sexuality.
Biological Dimension
Known as the physical sex characteristic of a

person, this is determined by the sex
chromosomes and hormones produced by the
reproductive glands.
Humans have 46 chromosomes located in every

nucleus of a cell. These chromosomes work in
pairs. The biological sex of an individual is
carried by the 23rd chromosome known as
the sex-linked genes.
XX is the sex chromosome for female
and XY is for the male sex. This
chromosome carries the genetic material
called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) which is
responsible for all the traits and
characteristics of an organism. The
remaining chromosome carries hereditary
traits that are not related to sex.
Pituitary gland - is a pea-sized gland found in the midbrain
that produces Luteinizing hormone(LH) and Follicle
Stimulating hormone(FSH).
Luteinizing Hormone - triggers the production of sex

hormones like testosterone for male reproduction and
estrogen for female reproduction.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone - is responsible for triggering

the maturity of an egg cell in the ovary in preparation
for reproduction.
Psychological Dimension
Your self-acceptance and self-contentment can determine
your sexuality. When you wake up every morning and you
feel happy with the person you see in the mirror, it is a
positive sign that your adolescence stage is well-managed
psychologically. Self-esteem and positive thoughts can
empower your sexual preference and can boost your self-
confidence in socializing and making friends even if it’s in
the opposite sex.
Anorexia Nervosa - A psychological condition where a person
thinks that they are extremely fat even if they are not. They
manage their negative view of their body image by refraining
from eating thus, they suffer from serious health illnesses.
Bulimia Nervosa - A psychological eating disorder where a

person eats their favorite food in volume and then induces
vomiting as part of their guilt in getting fat. This practice
damages their intestine, esophagus, larynx and even their
teeth.
Sociocultural Dimension
The sociocultural landscape of the Philippines is more on

the conservative side. Our families and friends don’t talk
about sexual topics openly. We only learn these ideas in
school in a technical sense like studying reproductive
health. But there is a certain level of sociocultural aspect
that is unique to Filipinos where conservatism is mostly
practiced, and this is in the family level. We learn our core
values in the family. We follow the moral standard of our
elders due to our respect for them and our strong family
ties.
Factors Affecting Human
Sexuality and Sexual
Behaviors
 Family
 Religion
 Socioeconomic Status
 Peers and Friends
 Mass Media
Sexuality and Family
Health
A family is a unit in the society that plays a
vital role in shaping a child’s sexuality. A
family doesn’t need to be perfect or wealthy
to provide the appropriate sexuality to their
children, and the only requirement is to be
healthy. Healthy in the sense of physical,
emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Signs of a Healthy
Family
Love and affection revolve around the family. Each member of
the family should receive an equal amount of love and
affection.
Intimacy between husband and wife. Sexual intimacy between
husband and wife can shape and develop their well-being
and projects a positive impact on their children's sexuality.
Values respect. Parents that show how they respect each
other’s sexuality can transfer the same positive sexual
behavior onto their children.
An open line of discussion. This way, topics like sexuality and
reproductive concerns can be addressed and shared within
the family preventing children from getting misleading
information.
Decision-making participation. A healthy family may allow each
family member to participate in simple decision-making or in
problem-solving to promote role involvement regardless of
their sex.
Maintain a healthy body for each member. If all the members of
the family are healthy, then the family is known to be a healthy
one. If members of the family got ill or have acquired a
disease, there's a chance that other members may get it too
since they live under the same roof.
Perform activities together. A healthy family should always spare
quality time with all the members like doing fun activities,
eating together, or going to church together to promote
belongingness and bonding that motivate their children to do
the same once they have their own family someday.

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Unit 1: Gender and

House Bill No. 4982 - Known as the Sexual Orientation,

Human sexuality is composed of three fundamental

Known as the physical sex characteristic of a

Humans have 46 chromosomes located in every

Luteinizing Hormone - triggers the production of sex

Follicle Stimulating Hormone - is responsible for triggering

Bulimia Nervosa - A psychological eating disorder where a

The sociocultural landscape of the Philippines is more on

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