Hesperian Health Guides
Chapter 12: Sexual Health
About this chapter:
This chapter has information about sex, gender, and sexuality, and how to make sex safer.
For more information about:
- preventing unwanted pregnancies, see Chapter 13, “Family Planning.”
- infections passed through sex and how to treat them, see Chapter 16, “Sexually Transmitted Infections.”
- rape and sexual violence, see Chapter 19, “Rape and Sexual Violence.”
For more information about organizing on these issues in your community, see Health Actions for Women.
Understanding sexual health is essential for health, just like understanding food is essential for nutrition.
We have been ignorant for so long, and full of fear about our bodies.
- — Oaxaca, Mexico
Sex is part of life. It is a way to give and receive pleasure, express love, act on sexual desire, and create children through pregnancy. Sex can be an important and positive part of life, but it can also lead to health problems. This makes it important to understand sexual health. To have good sexual health, someone must be able to:
- express their sexuality and gender identity in ways that feel true and safe, and give them pleasure.
- choose their sexual partners.
- negotiate if, when, and how they have sex, without force or pressure (consent).
- choose if and when they have children.
- protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV.
- be free from sexual violence, including forced sex.
Threats to sexual health include unwanted or dangerous pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, physical and emotional harm from sexual violence, and discrimination against those who express their sexuality in ways that challenge rigid gender roles. Most of these problems can be prevented. But in many communities, harmful beliefs make it especially hard for women to have good sexual health.
Sources
- American Sexual Health Association (2022) What Is Sexual Health?
- Centers for Disease Control (2019) Sexual Health
- Mayo Clinic (2021) Seuxal health
- Minnesota Department of Health (2022) Definitions of Sexual Health
- National Coalition for Sexual Health (2022) What is Sexual Health?