Carey Roth Bayer, EdD, MEd, BSN, RN, CSE & Allyson Belton, MPH
When asked to define health, what comes to mind? The heart? The lungs? The brain – whatever is in the latest news headlines? You might think of your physical health, spiritual health, mental, psychological or emotional health, but do you also include sexual health? In spite of living in a sex-saturated, media-influenced culture, sexual health is still not well discussed or addressed across the life span. And, when sexual health is addressed, it is usually done from a disease, disaster, dysfunction perspective; not a perspective of health and wellness or as a part of complete health. Think – HIV, STDs, unintended pregnancy, and sexual abuse instead of healthy relationships, pleasure, sexual self-esteem, connection, and open communication.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) working definition of sexual health is:
“…a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.” (WHO, 2006a) In case you were wondering, as far back as 1948 the WHO also defines health as: “…a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
The irony is, while international health organizations recognize the role of sexual health in complete health, that recognition has not translated into strong sexuality education systems or health care practices routinely addressing sexual health. Sexual health remains a challenging topic to discuss, even in 2019.
What can you do to make sure that your sexual health is a part of your complete health; here are some suggestions:
- Normalize sexual health as a part of your complete health – think about this as a lifetime of conversation and not just “the birds and bees talk” during puberty
- Explore your body – know what you have, how it works, what it is called, what feels good, and what doesn’t feel good
- Practice good communication – discuss your desires, definitions of pleasure, and boundaries of sexual exploration in your relationships before engaging in any sex activities
- Make sexual health care routine – based on your age and sexual history, talk with your health care provider about the age-appropriate sexual health screenings and tests; make sure to talk about your health priorities as some medications and treatments can impact the way you experience sexual pleasure
- Love yourself – a positive relationship with your body can make a big difference individually as well as in relationships; minimize the negative body talk as well as social media exposure to unrealistic body standards
- Be authentically you – own and communicate your labels, gender expressions, power dynamics, attractions, and sexual desires; do not cave to perceptions or labeling of others; everyone has their own sexual norms
As you can see, sexual health is a key part of complete health. It is a part of the heart, lungs, and brain as well as the numerous other organs and systems of the body. It is not just limited to puberty and reproduction. While it may be expressed in various ways at different phases of the life span, it is an instrumental part of the human experience from birth through death.
