Human Sexuality: Understanding Its Importance and Impact
Human Sexuality: Its Importance and Impact
Understanding Sexuality
Sexuality involves relating to ourselves and others, characterized by the pursuit of pleasure, activity, communication, and reproductive complementarity. It contributes to our inner balance and personal well-being. From conception, we undergo developmental changes that differentiate our sexual organs and characteristics. As we grow, we become aware of our gender, along with associated expectations and behaviors.
Shaping Values and Attitudes
We should strive for equal and non-discriminatory values and attitudes for all genders, fostering support rather than competition. This encourages the development of individuals who respect differences, complement and enrich each other, and share equal rights and obligations. Trust between sexes is crucial for more egalitarian and rewarding relationships.
Defining Sexuality
Human sexuality encompasses behaviors related to satisfying needs and desires. Like other primates, humans use sexual excitement for reproduction and social bonding, but also for enjoyment and pleasure. Sexuality also involves deep emotional and personal aspects. Many cultures attribute religious or spiritual meaning to sex, viewing it as a way to enhance (or diminish) health.
Elements of Sexual Function
Desire
Sexual desire begins with physical attraction and manifests through closeness, communication, observation, and touch.
Eroticism
Eroticism refers to sexual attraction to people, situations, or things. Each individual’s eroticism develops and enriches through attitudes, dress, and behavior.
Self-Control
Unlike animals, humans can control their instincts. Self-control allows reflection on sexual impulses and behavior.
Responsible Sexual Behavior
A key principle of sex education should be the idea that unpreparedness for parenthood implies unpreparedness for sex. Most people desire to be good parents, provide for their children, and offer a good education. Contraceptives can disconnect sex from babies, potentially fostering irresponsibility. Children born out of wedlock may face challenges, and single mothers often experience difficulties meeting their children’s and their own needs. Abortion can have lasting psychological effects. Even within marriage, contraceptives can diminish the meaning of the sexual act and its inherent commitment to potential procreation.
Those using Natural Family Planning (NFP) generally avoid abortion in case of unplanned pregnancy. While both NFP users and contraceptive users may wish to avoid pregnancy while engaging in sexual activity, NFP maintains the principle of sexual responsibility. NFP users abstain from sex during fertile periods and engage in sex during infertile periods, demonstrating a commitment to responsible parenthood.
Defining Integrated Health
Integral Health
Comprehensive health encompasses physical, mental, and social well-being. It represents an ideal state achieved through balance in biological, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects, supporting proper development and growth in all areas of life. Health empowers individuals to develop their unique skills and abilities.
Physical Health
Physical health refers to normal physiological functioning. Physically healthy individuals typically exhibit normal growth and weight, healthy hair, teeth, skin, and eyes. Regular exercise is essential for physical fitness and overall well-being.
Mental Health
Mental health refers to a state of balance between a person and their socio-cultural environment, enabling productive work, intellectual engagement, and fulfilling relationships. It encompasses subjective well-being, autonomy, competitiveness, and emotional potential. There’s no single official definition of mental health, as cultural differences and various theories influence its understanding.
Social Health
Social health is the ability to maintain healthy relationships with friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.
The Significance of Sexual Identification
Sexual identity is a psychological, social, and cultural process shaped by family, society, and culture. Identity involves recognizing similarities with others. Each individual’s sexuality is unique. Studying human sexuality with animals is inappropriate due to the genetic, instinctive, and moral/cultural differences between humans and animals. Human sexuality is not solely about reproduction.