
Guide to Sexual Health
When someone hears the term, “sexual health,” they may think it refers only to avoiding an unplanned pregnancy or preventing STIs. While preventing unplanned pregnancy and staying STI-free are both parts of sexual health, sexual health is really an umbrella term that encompasses many different facets of a person’s physical and emotional well-being surrounding sex and sexuality.
On September 4th, 2012, the World Association of Sexual Health launched World Sexual Health Day to bring awareness to these issues and to help people of all sexual orientations fully understand what it all means to be a sexually healthy person.
What are the characteristics of a sexually healthy person?
The American Sexual Health Association defines someone who is sexually healthy as possessing the following characteristics, behaviors, and belief systems around sex and relationships:
- They understand that sexuality is a natural part of someone’s life, and sexuality involves more than just sexual behavior.