Human Sexuality: Identity, Attraction, Behavior, and Sexual Health

It may include:

• who someone finds attractive;
• whether they experience sexual desire;
• how they understand their gender;
• how they form intimate relationships;
• how their body responds sexually;
• whether they choose sexual activity;
• their views about pleasure and reproduction;
• the boundaries and values guiding their behavior.

Every person’s experience is different. Some people are highly interested in sex, while others experience little or no sexual attraction or desire.

Biological aspects

These may involve:

• sexual anatomy;
• hormones;
• puberty;
• arousal;
• orgasm;
• fertility;
• pregnancy;
• aging;
• physical health.

Biology can influence sexuality, but it does not fully determine identity, behavior, relationships, or personal values.

Psychological and emotional aspects

These may include:

• attraction;
• desire;
• fantasy;
• body image;
• pleasure;
• shame;
• confidence;
• emotional attachment;
• past experiences.

Mental health, stress, trauma, and self-esteem may also affect sexual well-being.

Social and cultural aspects

Cultures influence ideas about:

• acceptable relationships;
• marriage;
• gender roles;
• modesty;
• sexual behavior;
• family expectations;
• reproduction;
• sexual orientation.

These expectations differ across communities and historical periods.

A person may identify as:

• heterosexual;
• gay;
• lesbian;
• bisexual;
• pansexual;
• asexual;
• queer;
• another orientation.

Orientation is not identical to behavior. A person may experience an attraction without acting on it, or engage in behavior that does not fully represent their identity.

Sexual attraction and romantic attraction may also differ.

Gender identity is a person’s internal understanding of their gender. Gender expression is how they communicate gender through appearance, behavior, or style.

A person’s gender identity does not automatically determine:

• sexual orientation;
• anatomy;
• sexual behavior;
• preferred relationship structure;
• level of desire.

Human sexuality includes cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, and other gender experiences.

It may include:

• kissing;
• masturbation;
• intimate touching;
• oral sex;
• vaginal or anal intercourse;
• erotic communication;
• consensual kink;
• choosing abstinence.

Behavior does not always reveal orientation, identity, love, or commitment. People may behave differently because of curiosity, opportunity, culture, relationships, safety, or personal choice.

Important stages may include:

• childhood awareness of bodies and privacy;
• puberty and physical development;
• adolescent exploration of attraction and identity;
• adult relationships and sexual decision-making;
• pregnancy, parenthood, or infertility;
• hormonal and health changes;
• sexuality in older adulthood.

Sexual development does not follow one universal timeline. People may discover or change labels, relationships, interests, and boundaries at different ages.

Relationships may be:

• monogamous;
• consensually non-monogamous;
• casual;
• committed;
• long-distance;
• married or unmarried;
• romantic but nonsexual;
• sexual but nonromantic.

No relationship structure is automatically healthy. Its quality depends on honesty, communication, equality, boundaries, and voluntary participation.

It may involve:

• accurate sex education;
• contraception;
• STI prevention and testing;
• reproductive healthcare;
• treatment for sexual pain or dysfunction;
• positive body image;
• freedom from coercion;
• access to respectful healthcare.

Good sexual health is not measured by how often someone has sex. A sexually inactive, celibate, or asexual person can also have healthy sexuality.

Consent must be:

• voluntary;
• informed;
• specific;
• continuing;
• reversible.

Marriage, dating, attraction, arousal, clothing, gifts, or previous sexual activity does not create permanent consent.

Bodily autonomy means that each person controls decisions about their own body, relationships, sexual activity, contraception, reproduction, and healthcare.

Everyone experiences sexual desire.
Some people experience little or no desire or attraction.

Biology completely determines sexuality.
Human sexuality is influenced by biological, psychological, relational, and cultural factors.

Sexual orientation and behavior are identical.
Identity, attraction, and behavior may not always match.

Marriage creates sexual consent.
Consent is required during every sexual interaction.

Healthy sexuality requires sexual activity.
Abstinence, celibacy, asexuality, and nonsexual intimacy can all be valid.

1. Human Sexuality includes attraction, identity, desire, pleasure, relationships, health, and reproduction.
2. Human Sexuality is influenced by biological, psychological, cultural, and social factors.
3. Human Sexuality is broader than sexual intercourse or reproductive behavior.
4. Human Sexuality develops and may change throughout a person’s life.
5. Human Sexuality includes diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
6. Human Sexuality may be expressed through partnered activity, solo sexuality, intimacy, or abstinence.
7. Human Sexuality should be discussed through accurate and inclusive education.
8. Human Sexuality must always be understood with respect for consent and bodily autonomy.

It recognizes that sexuality is both personal and socially influenced. People vary greatly in their bodies, identities, attractions, values, experiences, and preferred forms of intimacy.

Accurate education about human sexuality supports self-understanding, respectful relationships, informed healthcare, freedom from stigma, bodily autonomy, and voluntary consent.