What is sexuality?

When you think of sexuality, your first thought may be the physical act of sexual intercourse. But sexuality goes beyond engaging in sexual activity.

As a human being, your sexuality is a part of your physical, emotional, intellectual, and social self. It affects how you think of yourself and how you relate to others, as well as how they relate to you, and it is a part of you throughout your entire life.

Since every person is different, it is difficult to define "normal" sexuality or sexual activity. Many factors may influence your sexuality, including your gender, sexual orientation, hormone levels, age, and personal perspectives, such as your views on sex and your religious beliefs and values.

You may have certain definitions of how you think a man or woman should look and behave, and these expectations play a part in your sexuality, too.

It's important to recognize what is normal for you--what makes you feel comfortable and satisfied--and that it may be different from what is normal for someone else.

A "normal" sexual response involves a person experiencing one or more of the following:

DESIRE

Desire is about feeling interested in someone sexually. For example, if a man or woman walked by, you may feel an attraction to that person or begin to imagine that person as a partner. You may think or fantasize about sex or feel frustrated because you aren't sexually satisfied. All of these feelings are about desire.

AROUSAL

Arousal is sexual excitement, which may be caused by touching, stroking, fantasizing, or seeing or hearing sexual sights and sounds. Your heartbeat, pulse, and blood pressure rise. Your breathing may become deeper and heavier. In both men and women, blood flows into the genitals as part of sexual arousal.

ORGASM

A person who reaches a sexual climax has an orgasm. For men and women, this means a rhythmic contraction of the genitals, which causes intense, pleasurable feelings throughout the body. Overall, you may feel satisfaction, pleasure, and gratification.


RESOLUTION

Resolution is when the body calms down and is no longer excited. Your heartbeat, pulse, and blood pressure return to normal, and blood drains from the genital area. Resolution happens rapidly after an orgasm. If a person doesn't have an orgasm, resolution happens eventually but just takes longer.