The fatty cushion resting over the front surface of the pubic bone is called the mons veneris or mons pubis. The mons veneris becomes covered with pubic hair after puberty, and though it is considered a stimulating place to caress during lovemaking, it serves largely as a protective cushion for the genitals, especially during sexual […]

Female Genital Self-Examination genital self-examination can teach a woman about her body and make her more comfort­able with her genitals. Many female health problems can be identified when changes are detected in the internal or external sexual organs; therefore, self­examination has an important health function as well. Begin by examining the outside of your genitals; […]

It is important for women (and men) to understand the structure of the female repro­ductive system, which is really a marvel of biological engineering. Women who have not done a thorough genital self-examination should do so, not only because it is an impor­tant part of the body to learn to appreciate but also because any […]

Can we create a society that avoids gender stereotypes, a society of total gender equal­ity? Would you want to live in such a society? Does a gender-equal society mean that we must have unisex bathrooms, or is it something subtler, referring to a sense of equal op-   ReviewQuestion Explain how gender roles change as […]

In families with children, the parents can experience either a great sense of loneliness or a newfound freedom as their children grow and leave the home. A few women, espe­cially those with traditional roles as wife and mother, become depressed about losing their primary roles as caretakers and mothers. The phrase “empty nest syndrome” iden­tifies […]

Because of the traditional view that women’s primary domain is the family and men’s pri­mary domain is the workplace, we have relatively few studies of men’s roles in the home. For example, enormous amounts of literature have been dedicated to discussing the “un­married mother,” but it is only relatively recently that research has begun to […]

Throughout most of history, women worked outside the home; and even today, in most countries, women (especially the poor) are a major part of the workforce. Yet most women in the United States and elsewhere are still taught that their primary sense of satisfaction and identity should be derived from their roles as wives and […]

As men and women grow into adulthood, they tend to derive their gender identity pri­marily in two realms—their careers and their family lives. Although many believe that ideas about gender are firmly established by the time we reach adulthood, recent social changes in sex roles show that adults do have the capacity to revise their […]

Play Like a Boy! Play Like a Girl! or a child, playing is not a game, it is serious business. Play is what teaches the child physical co­ordination, eye-hand coordination, the rules of grav­ity and cause and effect, and other physical and motor skills. As a child matures, playing with peers also teaches a child […]