Generally speaking, human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings. ^[1] The study of human sexuality encompasses an array of social activities and an abundance of behaviors, actions, and societal topics. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display Biologically, sexuality can encompass sexual intercourse and sexual contact in all its forms, as well as medical concerns about the physiological or even psychological aspects of sexual behaviour. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Physiology (from Greek grc φύσις physis, "nature origin" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the mechanical physical Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Sociologically, it can cover the cultural, political, and legal aspects; and philosophically, it can span the moral, ethical, theological, spiritual or religious aspects. Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings Ethics is a major branch of Philosophy, encompassing right conduct and good life Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos

As Michel Foucault wrote in The History of Sexuality, the concept of what activities and sensations are "sexual" is historically (as well as regionally and culturally) determined, and it is therefore part of a changing "discourse". Michel Foucault ( (15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984 was a French philosopher, Historian, Intellectual, Critic and Sociologist. The History of Sexuality is the title of a three-volume series of Books by French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault written between 1976 ^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The sexual meanings (meanings of the erotic dimension of human sexual experience), are social and cultural constructs, they are made subjective only after cultural and social mediation. Sexual meanings are the meanings that are attributed by a particular cultural-social-historical context to Sexual acts and broadly to all the aspects of the erotic dimension A social construction or social construct is any phenomenon "invented" or "constructed" by participants in a particular Culture or Society ^[7] Being the main force conditioning human relationship, sex is essentially political. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions In any social context, the construction of a "sexual universe" is fundamentally linked to the structures of power. ^[7][2][8][9] The construction of sexual meanings, is an instrument by which social institutions (religion, marketing, the educational system, psychiatry, etc. ) control and shape human relationships. ^[4][3]

According to Foucault, sexuality began to be regarded as a concept part of human nature since the 19th century; so sexuality began to be used as a mean to define normality and its boundaries, and to conceive everything outside those boundaries in the realm of psychopathology. Psychopathology is a term which refers to either the study of Mental illness or mental distress or the manifestation of behaviours and experiences which may be indicative In the 20th century, with the theories of Sigmund Freud and of sexology, the "not-normal" was seen more as a "discontent of civilization" ^[10][3] In a well known passage of his work, Foucault noted that the development of the notion of sexuality organized sex as a "fictitious unity" of "disparate parts, functions, behaviours, and feelings with no natural or necessary relation among them"; therefore the conception of what is "natural" is a social construct. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded Sexology is the study of sexual interests behavior and function An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual A social construction or social construct is any phenomenon "invented" or "constructed" by participants in a particular Culture or Society ^[11][12] To escape this cultural "sexuality" Foucault suggest to focus on "bodies and pleasures". ^[13][11]

In many historical eras, recovered art and artifacts help to portray human sexuality of the time period. ^[14]

Biological aspects

The biology of human sexuality examines the influence of biological factors, such as organic and neurological response,^[2] heredity, hormones, and sexual dysfunction;^[15] it examines the basic functions of reproduction and the physical means to carry it out. Hormones (from Greek ὁρμή - "impetus" are chemicals released by cells that affect cells in other parts of the body Sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction (see also Sexual function) is difficulty during any stage of the Sexual act (which includes desire, The biological perspective helps to analyze the factors, and ultimately aids in understanding them and using them to deal with sexual problems.

Sexual behavior can be a disease vector. In Epidemiology, a vector is an Organism that does not cause Disease itself but which transmits Infection by conveying Pathogens from Safe sex is a relevant harm reduction philosophy. Safe sex (also called safer sex or protected sex) is the practice of Sexual activity in a manner that reduces the risk of Infection with Harm reduction is a Philosophy of Public health, intended to be a progressive alternative to the prohibition of certain potentially dangerous Monogamy is also espoused, however, practicing safe sex with many committed partners, referred to as serial monogamy or polygamy, is not as safe, particularly among adolescents. Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate in a Relationship, thus forming a Couple. Serial monogamy is characterized by a series of long- or short-term exclusive Sexual relationships entered into consecutively over the lifespan The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning "the practice of multiple marriage" is used in related ways in Social anthropology, Sociobiology, and ^[16]

Sex as exercise can produce some health benefits.

Sociocultural aspects

Human sexuality can also be understood as part of the social life of humans, governed by implied rules of behavior and the status quo. Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" This focus narrows the view to groups within a society. ^[17] The sociocultural aspect examines influences on and from social norms, including media such as politics and the mass media. Social norms have been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values beliefs attitudes and behaviors "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" These sorts of media can help to bring about massive changes in the social norm — examples include the sexual revolution and the rise of feminism. The sexual revolution refers to the well-documented changes in social thought and codes of behaviour related to sexuality throughout the Western world that continues to evolve Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate

The link between constructed sex meanings and racial ideologies has been studied. Sexual meanings are the meanings that are attributed by a particular cultural-social-historical context to Sexual acts and broadly to all the aspects of the erotic dimension Sexual meanings are constructed to maintain racial-ethnic-national boundaries, by denigration of "others" and regulation of sexual behavior within the group. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display In Sociology, a group can be defined as two or more Humans that interact with one another accept expectations and obligations as members of the group and share a "Both adherence to and deviation from such approved behaviours, define and reinforce racial, ethnic, and nationalist regimes. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation "^[18][19]

Sex education

Main article: Sex education

Sex education is the introduction of sexual topics within an educational context. Sex education is a broad term used to describe Education about human sexual anatomy, Sexual reproduction, Sexual intercourse, Reproductive Sex education is a broad term used to describe Education about human sexual anatomy, Sexual reproduction, Sexual intercourse, Reproductive Almost all western countries have some form of sex education, but the nature varies widely. In some countries (such as Australia and much of Europe) "age-appropriate" sex education often begins in pre-school, whereas other countries (notably the USA) leave sex education to the pre-teenage and teenage years. Sex education covers a range of topics, including the physical, mental, and social aspects of sexual behavior.

Psychological aspects

The psychological study of sexuality focuses on psychological influences that affect sexual behavior and experiences. ^[5] Early psychological analyses were carried out by Sigmund Freud, who believed in a psychoanalytic point of view. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas developed by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and his followers which is devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behavior He also conjectured the concepts of erogenous zones, psychosexual development, and the Oedipus complex, among others. An erogenous zone is an area of the Human body that has heightened Sensitivity and stimulation of which normally results in sexual response. The concept of psychosexual development, as envisioned by Sigmund Freud at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century is a central element in his sexual The Oedipus complex, in Freudian Psychoanalysis, is named after the Greek mythical character Oedipus, who unknowingly kills his father

Behavior theorists such as John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner examine the actions and consequences and their ramifications. Behaviorism or Behaviourism, also called the learning perspective (where any physical action is a behavior is a philosophy of Psychology based on the John Broadus Watson ( January 9, 1878 &ndash September 25, 1958) was an American psychologist who established the psychological Burrhus Frederic Skinner ( March 20, 1904 &ndash August 18 1990) was an influential American Psychologist, author These theorists would, for example, study a child who is punished for sexual exploration and see if they grow up to associate negative feelings with sex in general. Social-learning theorists use similar concepts, but focus on cognitive activity and modeling. A mental model is an explanation in someone's Thought process for how something works in the real world

Gender identity is a person's own sense of identification as female, male, both, neither, or somewhere in between. Gender identity (or core gender identity) is a person's own sense of Identification as Male or Female. The social construction of gender has been discussed by a wide variety of scholars, Judith Butler notable among them. Judith Butler (born February 24, 1956) is an American Post-structuralist philosopher who has contributed to the fields of Feminism

Sexual behaviour

Main article: Human sexual behaviour

Human sexual behaviour encompasses the search for a partner or partners, interactions between individuals, physical or emotional intimacy, and sexual contact. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display Physical intimacy is sensual proximity and/or touching It can be enjoyed by itself and/or be an expression of Feelings (such as close Friendship Emotional intimacy is a dimension of interpersonal intimacy that varies in degree and over time much like Physical intimacy. Some cultures will find only sexual contact within marriage acceptable; however, extramarital sexual activity still takes place. Unprotected sex may result unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female A sexually transmitted disease ( STD) or venereal disease ( VD) is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between Humans In some areas, sexual abuse of individuals is prohibited by law and considered against the norms of society. Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual acts by one person upon another

Sexual activity and lifestyles

Heterosexuality

Main article: Heterosexuality

Heterosexuality involves two individuals of different sexes. Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation An organism's sex is defined by the gametes it produces males produce male gametes (spermatozoa or Sperm) while females produce female gametes (ova or Egg cells; individual

Different-sex sexual practices are limited by laws in many places. United States marriage laws may serve the purpose of encouraging people to only have sex (and children) within marriage. Sodomy laws were seen as discouraging same-sex sexual practices. A sodomy law is a Law that defines certain Sexual acts as sex crimes. Laws also ban adults from committing sexual abuse, committing sexual acts with anyone under an age of consent, performing sexual activities in public, and engaging in sexual activities for money (prostitution). Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual acts by one person upon another Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Though these laws all cover same-sex sexual activities, they may differ with regards to punishment, and may be more frequently (or exclusively) enforced on those who engage in same-sex sexual activities. Laws also control the making and viewing of pornography, including pornography which portrays different-sex sexual activities. Pornography or porn is the explicit depiction of Sexual subject matter with the sole intention of sexually exciting the viewer

Courtship, or dating, is the process through which some people choose potential sexual and/or marital partners. Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage Among straight (presumably middle class) teenagers and adolescents in the mid-20th century in America, dating was something one could do with multiple people before choosing to "go steady" with only one, the eventual goal being either sex, marriage, or both. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. More recently dating has become what going steady was and the latter term has fallen into disuse.

Different-sex sexual practices may be monogamous, serially monogamous, or polyamorous, and, depending on the definition of sexual practice, abstinent or autoerotic (including masturbation). Monogamy is the custom or condition of having only one mate in a Relationship, thus forming a Couple. Polyamory (from Greek el πολυ meaning many or several and Latin la amor “love” is the desire practice or acceptance of having more than one Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure Autosexuality refers to Sexual orientation and sexual behavior of attraction or romance that one holds exclusively and expresses towards oneself Masturbation refers to Sexual stimulation especially of one's own genitals ( self masturbation) and often to the point of Orgasm, which

Different moral and political movements have waged for changes in different-sex sexual practices including courting and marriage, though in all countries, changes are usually made only at a slow rate. Especially in the USA, campaigns have often sparked and been fueled by moral panic. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A moral panic can be defined as "the intensity of feeling expressed by a large number of people about a specific group of people who appear to threaten the social order at a given There, movements which claim to strengthen different-sex sexual practices within marriage are seen by others to discourage same-sex sexual practices, such as Defense of Marriage Act and the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, is the short title of a Federal law of the United States passed on September 21 1996 as Public Law No The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA (also referred to by proponents as the Marriage Protection Amendment) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution

Homosexuality

Main article: Homosexuality

Same-sex sexuality involves two individuals of the same sex. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. It is possible for a person whose sexual identity is heterosexual to get involved in sexual acts with people of the same sex, for example, mutual masturbation in the context of what may be considered "normal" heterosexual teen development. Non-penetrative sex (also known as outercourse and dry sex) is Sexual activity without Vaginal Anal, and Oral penetration Homosexual people who pretend to lead a life of heterosexuality are often referred to as living "closeted" lives, that is, they hide their sexuality in "the closet". Coming outThe expressions " closeted " or "in the closet " generally refer to undisclosed sexual behavior, Sexual orientation or Gender The term "closet case" is a derogatory term used to refer to another homosexual that hides his or her homosexuality or bisexuality, and "coming out" or "outing" refer to making that orientation (semi-) public voluntarily, or by others against their wishes, respectively. Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity In the late twentieth century outing became a common term for taking someone "out of The closet "—that is publicising that someone is Gay.

The definition of homosexuality is a sexual attraction to members of one's own sex, though people who engage exclusively in same-sex sexual practices may not identify themselves as gay or lesbian. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women However, the degree of attraction complies with the varying levels of frequency, willingness, and/or interest. In sex-segregated environments, individuals may seek sex with others of their own sex (known as situational homosexuality). Situational sexual behavior is sexual behavior of a kind that is different from what is usual for that person (or from what that person normally exhibits due to a social In other cases, some people may experiment or explore their sexuality with same (and/or different) sex sexual activity before defining their sexual identity. Sexual identity is a term that like sex, has two distinctively different meanings Health campaigns and officials often seek to target self-identified "straight" or bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) as opposed to self-identified "gay" or homosexual men. Men who have sex with men or males who have sex with males ( MSM) refers to men who engage in sexual activity with other men whether

Despite stereotypes and common misconceptions, there are no forms of sexual activity exclusive to same-sex sexual behavior that can not also be found in opposite-sex sexual behavior, save those involving contact of the same sex genitalia such as tribadism and frot. Tribadism or tribbing also known by the slang term scissoring is a form of Mutual masturbation in which a woman rubs her Vulva against her partner's Frot ( French frotter, to rub is male-male Non-penetrative sex, where male partners engage in the rubbing of erect Penis on erect penis typically

Among some communities (called "men on the DL" or "down-low"), same-sex sexual behavior is sometimes viewed as solely for physical pleasure. Men on the "down-low" may engage in regular (though often covert) sex acts with other men while continuing sexual and romantic relationships with women.

Auto-erotic sexuality

Main article: Autoeroticism

Autoeroticism is sexual activity that does not involve another person as partner. Autoeroticism is the practice of stimulating oneself sexually It can involve masturbation, though several paraphilias do not require a partner. Masturbation refers to Sexual stimulation especially of one's own genitals ( self masturbation) and often to the point of Orgasm, which

Though many autoerotic practices are relatively physically safe, some can be dangerous. These include autoerotic asphyxiation and self-bondage. Erotic asphyxiation refers to intentionally cutting off oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal Self-bondage is the practice of sexual bondage on oneself or the application of restraints to oneself for the purpose of sexual Pleasure. The potential for injury or even death that exists while engaging in the partnered versions of these fetishes (choking and bondage, respectively) becomes drastically increased due to the isolation and lack of assistance in the event of a problem. This article concerns the concept of fetishism in Anthropology. The fainting game, also commonly known as the choking or the pass out game, is a loose term that covers dangerous activities designed to induce a partial or complete In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure

Alternative sexuality

An example of erotic spanking, practiced in BDSM. Erotic spanking is the practice of Spanking another person for the sexual gratification of either or both parties

A number of "alternative sexualities" exist. These are usually based upon individual choice. They range from the broadly accepted or tolerated, through to the highly controversial and illegal.

Examples of these less common or alternative sexualities include BDSM activities where dominance and submission activities are central features of sexual activity, through to zoosexuality where there is human-animal sexual activity. Dominance and submission (also known as D&s, Ds or D/s) is a set of behaviors customs and rituals relating to the giving and accepting of dominance of Zoophilia Zoosexuality is a term used to describe a Sexual orientation towards non-human animals

Coercive and abusive sexuality

Main article: Sexual abuse

Sexual activity can also encompass sexual abuse - that is, coercive or abusive use of sexuality. Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual acts by one person upon another Examples include: rape, lust murder, child sexual abuse, and zoosadism (animal abuse which may be sexual in nature), as well as (in many countries) certain non-consensual paraphilias such as frotteurism, telephone scatophilia (indecent phonecalls), and non-consensual exhibitionism and voyeurism (known as "indecent exposure" and "peeping tom" respectively). Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person A lust murder is a Homicide in which the offender searches for erotic satisfaction by killing someone Child sexual abuse is a form of Child abuse in which a child is abused for the sexual gratification of an adult or older adolescent Zoosadism is a term coined by Ernest Borneman referring to Pleasure (sometimes sexual pleasure) derived from Cruelty to animals. In psychiatry the clinical term frotteurism (no longer called frottage) refers to a specific Paraphilia which involves the non-consensual rubbing against another An obscene phone call is an unsolicited Telephone call where the caller attempts to annoy or frighten the called party usually by sexual or foul language Although the implications of each may overlap in special circumstances generally exhibitionism is not to be confused with Indecent exposure. Voyeurism is the sexual interest in spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors such as undressing sexual activity or urinating See also Public indecency, Exhibitionism Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure by a person of a portion or portions of his or her own body under

Sexual pleasure

Sexual pleasure is pleasure derived from any kind of sexual activity. Pleasure is commonly conceptualized as a positive experience Happiness, Entertainment, Enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria, but is hard Though orgasm is generally known, sexual pleasure includes erotic pleasure during foreplay, and pleasure due to fetish or BDSM. An orgasm (sexual climax is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and may be experienced by both males and females In Human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physical acts between two or more people meant to increase Sexual arousal. Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the Sexual attraction to materials and objects not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature ^[20][21]

Study of sexuality

In contemporary academia, sexuality is studied in the fields of sexology and gender and sexuality studies, among many other fields. Sexology is the study of sexual interests behavior and function Gender studies is a field of Interdisciplinary study which analyzes the phenomenon of Gender.

See also

• Sexology
• List of human sexuality topics
• Child sexuality
• Adolescent sexuality
• Sexuality in older age
• Sexual selection
• Love
• Sexual arousal
• Orgasm
• Sexual intercourse

Footnotes

References

External links

• International Encyclopedia of Sexuality full text
• National Sexuality Resource Center
• American Sexuality Magazine
• Janssen, D. F. , Growing Up Sexually. Volume I. World Reference Atlas [full text]
• History of Surveys of Sexual Behavior from Encyclopedia of Behavioral Statistics
• The South and Southeast Asia Resource Centre on Sexuality
• The Sexuality and Rights Institute
• POPLINE is a searchable database of the world's reproductive health literature.