Sexuality

Sexuality is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a central aspect of being human throughout life. It is not limited to sex acts or genitals: it covers how each person sees themselves, relates to others, experiences pleasure, shows affection and builds relationships, from childhood to old age.

The WHO definition

The WHO offers a working definition, drawn up at a 2002 technical consultation and published in 2006, which remains the international reference. According to it, sexuality encompasses:

• sex, gender identities and roles, and sexual orientation;
• eroticism, pleasure and intimacy;
• reproduction.

It is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. The WHO adds an important nuance: while sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Someone may feel desire without wanting to reproduce, or enjoy intimacy without genital activity. And it is shaped by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.

Sexuality, sex and sexual health

In everyday language, “sex” refers both to biological characteristics and to sexual activity. That ambiguity shrinks a rich concept to just one of its parts. It helps to distinguish:

• Sex: biological characteristics (chromosomes, gonads, hormones, anatomy). Our entry on biological sex covers this in detail.
• Sexuality: the broad concept above, which also includes gender identity, sexual orientation, emotions and relationships.
• Sexual health: for the WHO, a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality, not merely the absence of disease. It calls for a positive, respectful approach and the possibility of pleasurable and safe experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.

The distinction matters in practice. It allows us to talk about sexuality in childhood in an educational way (the body, privacy, feelings), to recognise the emotional and sexual lives of older and disabled people, and to value expressions such as tenderness or the search for closeness.

The dimensions of sexuality

Sexuality is often described through several interwoven dimensions:

• Biological: anatomy, hormones, physical development, sexual response and reproductive capacity.
• Psychological and emotional: feelings, self-esteem, desires, fantasies, identity and how you experience your own body. Desire, for instance, does not always arrive out of the blue: it can emerge in response to intimacy, as our article on spontaneous and responsive desire explains.
• Social and cultural: norms, beliefs, gender roles and messages from family, school, the media and the internet.
• Ethical and relational: values, respect, responsibility and consent in decisions that affect you and others.

These dimensions do not work in isolation, and they change over a lifetime. That is why sexuality is described as integrated and dynamic.

A sexuality that changes over life

Sexuality is part of every stage of life. In childhood it shows up as curiosity about the body and a need for affection and safety; in adolescence, through the changes of puberty and first relationships; in adulthood, through life plans, with or without a partner, and sometimes parenthood; and in later life, through bodily changes that do not mean it comes to an end. What is seen as desirable, acceptable or private also varies between cultures and eras. Recognising this helps avoid rigid judgements.

Sexuality and rights

The WHO states that, for sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all people must be respected, protected and fulfilled. The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) first proclaimed its Declaration of Sexual Rights in 1997, at the World Congress of Sexology in Valencia, and revised it in 2014. The current version lists 16 rights, including equality and non-discrimination, autonomy and bodily integrity, privacy, and access to information and education. Find out more in sex education and sexual rights.

Why sex education matters

UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (revised edition, 2018, produced with UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women and the WHO) concludes that comprehensive sexuality education does not increase sexual activity, risk-taking or rates of STIs and HIV, and that it helps young people act more responsibly. The same source notes that only 34% of young people worldwide have accurate knowledge of HIV prevention. Read more in our entry on comprehensive sexuality education.

What healthy sexuality looks like

Healthy sexuality does not depend on how much sex you have, or whether you have it at all. It rests on four pillars:

• Information: accurate knowledge about the body, emotions and relationships.
• Respect: for yourself and others, with no coercion or discrimination.
• Consent: free, informed and reversible agreements.
• Responsibility: looking after your health, prevention and shared well-being.

If something about your sex life causes ongoing distress, pain, questions about your identity or orientation, or you feel pressured, you can talk to your GP, a sexual health clinic, a psychosexual therapist or a psychologist.