Lock&Key

Sexual intercourse is the stimulating act of reproduction, though reproduction is not a necessary outcome of the act itself.  Sex allows many organisms to exchange their genetic information and create whole new variations of themselves.  Without sex, organisms would likely be less varied and far less complex than they are today.  Since the earliest bacterial life-forms, genetic exchange has been a popular tool for survival through a process called horizontal gene transfer.  In more complex organisms, random assortment of genes in gametes (sex cells) and environmentally selected mutations allow for variation within and across species.

This video will guide you through the basic physiological principles of sexual intercourse:

How did the differences among the sexes arise, you might ask.  Nature has selected for variation, and an inherent consequence of this variation is a division among the sexes: males and females.  Through random assortment of genes, this allows for even further variation in the future offspring.  It appears, however, that variation isn't exactly set on just two distinct sexes, but rather a spectrum of sexes with males and females at opposing ends of the spectrum.  Hermaphrodites, or intersexes, are individuals that fall in the middle range of this spectrum, having varying degrees of both male and female genital characteristics.  With an underestimation of about 1/100 U.S. births resulting in some extent of genital ambiguity, it is possible to say that in today's population there may be well over 3.4 million people walking around with some form of intersex condition.  There are many different roles that genes, hormones, and the environment play on the outcome of a fetus' sex.  The presence of the SRY gene and androgens during the development of the fetus initiates the male pattern of development, but the absence of these factors results in a female pattern of development.  Forger (2006) has demonstrated the significant roles played by hormones that affect the sexual differentiation of brain development.  For example, the introduction of androgens to a fetus during the later part of development may masculinize the brain development of the female that is produced.

The most current and abhorrent affair on the issue of sexual development is the implementation of birth control pills in the New York City School District.  The NYC School District decided it would be a good idea to provide Plan B pills to whichever 13- to 18-year-old female students who "need" it without parental consent.  The Plan B pills typically contain a combination of estradiol and progesterone hormones that prevent the surge of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) during the menstrual cycle.  When FSH and LH are inhibited, the egg is prevented from releasing into the uterus for fertilization and implantation.  I don't agree with this approach to prevent pregnancy in teenage females who are still developing.  Infertility is a rising problem within the United States, according to the CDC. I believe one contributing factor to infertility may be the improper use of birth control.  In this case, the birth control being provided to these still-developing teenagers is affecting the hormone levels in an unnatural manner that may conduce negative long-term effects.  Perhaps a more effective way to combat this situation would be to provide sex education classes and behavioral modification techniques on a community-based level that focus on decreasing risky sexual behaviors amongst these teenagers.  It is also important to be cognizant of the fact that birth control does not prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, which pose a greater threat to the health of the future generation.

Here is a video by the ABC News Network that covers more information on the controversy of birth control provided by the NYC School District.  It surprises me that only 2% of the parents have decided to opt their children out of the pilot program for birth control, and my reasoning for thinking this way is rather deductive.  One of the adults interviewed by the ABC journalists in New York stated that these birth control pills condone unprotected sex and add to the problem, rather than solve it.  You would think that more than 2% of the parents of these children would be intelligent enough to arrive at this simple behavioral concept as well.  I think a good number of these parents may still be unaware of this program because their children have purposely chosen not to deliver the information.  It's evident that this information has spread very slowly in that the mainstream news only recently (about a month ago) caught wind of this program, which has been going on for over a year now.