Non-Hierarchical Polyamory: Relationships Without Fixed Partner Ranking
Non-hierarchical polyamory involves multiple consensual relationships without formally ranking partners as primary, secondary, or less important.
Hierarchical Polyamory: Primary Partners, Priority, and Relationship Structure
Hierarchical polyamory organizes multiple consensual relationships into different levels of priority, responsibility, commitment, or decision-making power.
Solo Polyamory: Independent Relationships Without a Primary Partner
Solo polyamory is a relationship style involving multiple consensual relationships while maintaining personal independence and avoiding automatic primary-partner hierarchy.
Relationship Anarchy: Autonomy, Commitment, and Nonhierarchical Bonds
Relationship anarchy is a philosophy that allows each intimate, romantic, sexual, or platonic relationship to develop through voluntary agreements rather than fixed hierarchy.
Consent Impairment: Understanding Reduced Capacity for Sexual Agreement
Consent impairment is a reduction in a person’s ability to understand, evaluate, communicate, or voluntarily decide about a sexual or intimate activity.
Coercive Pressure: Sexual Manipulation, Threats, and Invalid Consent
Coercive pressure uses manipulation, threats, repeated demands, or unequal power to make someone agree when they do not freely want to.
Intimacy Negotiation: Discussing Needs, Boundaries, and Agreements
Intimacy negotiation is the process of discussing and agreeing on emotional, physical, sexual, relational, and privacy needs within an intimate relationship.
Sexual Self-Efficacy: Confidence in Sexual Choices and Communication
Sexual self-efficacy is confidence in one’s ability to communicate sexual choices, set boundaries, protect health, seek care, and manage intimate situations.
Sexual Decision-Making: Choice, Consent, Health, and Personal Values
Sexual decision-making is the process of considering desire, boundaries, information, values, risks, and consequences before making sexual choices.
Sexual Agency: Choice, Autonomy, Desire, and Sexual Self-Direction
Sexual agency is the ability to make, communicate, and act on personal choices about sexuality, pleasure, relationships, health, identity, and boundaries.