Sexuality and Sexual Orientation

Article provided by Evgenia Fanaraki, Psychotherapist

Sexuality 

Sexuality is an important but also quite complex part of our personality. It is one of the basic “impulses” or “motives” of human behaviour, emotions and thoughts, along with nourishment, fight and flight.

Although as a basic motive, its ultimate objective is considered to be reproduction, and consequently the survival of the species; sexuality is much more complex and multi-faceted. It is also one of the main ways of expressing our psychological and social identity and defines attraction to others.

At the same time, the behaviours that govern it lead to changes in the brain structure and in our body, pushing us to seek pleasure. In short, it is closely related to physical and mental health.

The development of sexuality is usually established in the period of puberty during which an explosion of hormones activates the process of sexual maturation both physically with the development of the genital and sexual organs, and psychologically with the development of a range of emotions associated with sexual behaviour and the formation of love relationships and bonds.

The first “courtships” of adolescence are very important as through these teenagers learn to build close emotional bonds. They also contribute to the development of identity and a more adequate perception of oneself, while at the same time offering entertainment and pleasure.

The first form of sexual behaviour that occurs usually is self-stimulation (masturbation). In particular, it has been observed that about 80% of boys and 20% of girls have exhibited masturbation behaviour by the age of 15, the frequency of which with the passage of age tends to decrease in boys and increase in girls.

Although masturbation is considered taboo and often leads to feelings of guilt and shame, experts agree that it is a perfectly normal, healthy and beneficial practice that acts as a means of exploring and discovering sexuality. About 50% of teenagers report having had their first sexual encounter between the ages of 15 and 18. However, the age of the “first time” appears to be decreasing.

Sexual Orientation

Part of the sexual exploration and development that takes place in adolescence is sexual orientation. In essence, sexual orientation defines who attracts us physically. A simple categorization is: 

• Heterosexuals who are physically attracted to people of different sexes
• Homosexuals who are attracted to people of the same sex
• Bisexuals who are attracted to both different and same-sex people
• Asexuals who do not experience any sexual attraction or desire

Although this categorization is commonly known and accepted, in reality sexual orientation is described by researchers as a continuum between absolute heterosexuality and absolute homosexuality, that is, as something fluid, dynamic and not absolute. 

The factors that govern and determine sexual orientation are unclear. According to some research, genetic and biological factors seem to play an important role in this as studies in twins have shown that monozygotic (single egg)  twins are more likely to have a common orientation than non-monozygotic or heterozygotic siblings with each other.

Other studies have highlighted differences in the level of brain structures between heterosexual and homosexual individuals, while hormones seem to play an important role. Other research has also highlighted environmental and family influences. In general, most experts tend to agree that sexual orientation is governed by the interaction of biological, genetic and environmental factors. 

However, opinions, myths and prejudices about sexual orientation have not ceased to prevail. The rejection of homosexual people is a common phenomenon by both family and other people in their environment, as well as incidents of violence and harassment, which has critical effects on their mental health, such as increased levels of stress and depression.

These phenomena make it necessary to educate and raise awareness of the population with in-depth knowledge based on scientific research.

Healthy sexuality

Beyond the individual, social and cultural differences in the way sexuality is perceived, what constitutes healthy sexual behaviours and encounters? The most necessary element highlighted by the scientific majority is sexual consent, i.e. voluntary and conscious participation in any sexual act, which can be withdrawn at any time.

No sexual act or intercourse can be considered healthy without consent. Sexual behaviours involving manipulation, coercion, pressure of any form or lack of conscious participation are harmful and dangerous. For this reason, the ability to perceive the boundaries of each sexual partner plays an important role, as does honesty, effective communication skills and empathy.

All these elements can be cultivated through correct, comprehensive sex education and personal work with the self, with or without the help of mental health specialists. 

Join our sexual health seminars at Hera Family Care for more in depth discussion on these topics and if you are a teenager you can join for free!