What is sexuality?

We each have a unique understanding of our sexuality and it includes a number of different aspects of our lives, including relationships and intimacy, sexual health and reproduction, sexual identity and others. Sexuality is something we have and develop throughout our lifetime.

One holistic model of sexuality was created by Dr. Dennis Dailey and it’s called the 5 circles of sexuality.

Five overlapping circles: sensuality, intimacy, sexual identity, sexual health and reproduction, and sexualization. Sensuality - acceptance of one's own body, enjoyment of one's own body and the bodies of others. Intimacy - ability and need to experience emotional closeness to another human being. Sexual identity - development of who you are, including sex, gender, sexual orientation. Sexual health - attitudes and behaviors related to producing children, care and maintenance of sex and reproductive organs, health consequences of sexual behavior. Sexualization - use of sexuality to influence, control and manipulate others.
From Dennis Dailey, PHD (1981) Sexual expression and aging.

Read more about each circle of sexuality here – http://2www.futureofsexed.org/for-professionals/lesson-plans-professionals/200?task=view.

Some definitions from the World Health Organization are here – https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/sexual_health/sh_definitions/en/.

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