Knowra Human sexuality Human sexuality Human sexuality encompasses how people experience and express sexual feelings, attraction, identity, intimacy, and behavior across their lives. It varies among individuals and can change over time.
Sexual orientation : A pattern of sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to people, defined in different ways by individuals and communities. Attraction is one dimension of sexuality, distinct from identity labels and behavior.
Puberty : The developmental process in which hormonal changes produce sexual maturation and reproductive capability. Puberty brings bodily changes that can affect sexual feelings and self-understanding.
Sexual norms : Social expectations about acceptable sexual identities, relationships, and behaviors. Norms influence which expressions of sexuality are accepted, stigmatized, or hidden.
Sexual health : A state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality. Sexual health applies a broad well-being framework to sexual experience and relationships.
Gender identity : A person's internal sense of their gender, which may or may not match sex assigned at birth. Gender identity concerns gender, not patterns of sexual attraction or expression.
Sexual identity : A person's understanding and naming of their own sexuality, shaped by personal experience and social context. Identity describes how people understand themselves, not simply whom they desire.
Human sexual response cycle : A model describing recurring physiological phases of sexual arousal and activity. It describes bodily responses that may accompany sexual experience, without defining sexuality as a whole.
Sexual ethics : Principles for evaluating sexual conduct, including consent, respect, and responsibility. Ethical frameworks address how people relate to one another in sexual contexts.
Sex education : Education about sexuality, relationships, reproduction, consent, and sexual health. Education supports informed choices and understanding across dimensions of sexuality.
Sex assigned at birth : The classification, usually male or female, recorded at birth based on observed bodily traits. This classification is distinct from sexuality and does not determine attraction or identity.
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