Author: Yuliya Shneyderman

There are many aspects of sexual identity that are complicated and interrelated, including our biological sex, our gender identity and expression, our attractions and our behaviors.

The gender unicorn shows the complexity of gender, sex, and sexual orientation.

Here is a current (though not complete) list of terms that people use in relation to sex, gender, and sexual orientation – https://transstudent.org/about/definitions/

Even something as “simple” as biological sex, or the formation of one’s genitals and gonads, is not as simple as first thought. Scientists have identified many different possibilities that don’t exist on a simple binary of male and female – https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sex-redefined-the-idea-of-2-sexes-is-overly-simplistic1/.

Sex is different from gender and gender identity. People may express their genders in different ways and gender can be outside of the binary of masculine and feminine. However, society endorses certain gender roles and stereotypes that people may adhere to or reject. Sometimes people may feel that their gender identity does not match the biological sex they were assigned at birth – these people often identify as transgender.

Sexual orientation is how we often think about our sexual and romantic attractions. Common terms include lesbian, gay, bisexual, straight and others. Some people may not experience any sexual or romantic attractions and thus may identify as asexual or aromantic.

People who are sexual minorities may face stigma, social isolation, and lack of acceptance by family and friends. This may make them prone to more depression and anxiety, sexual assault, interpersonal violence, and suicide. There may also be legal issues of discrimination or unequal protection under the law.

Content warning: abuse and violence

On one side of the relationship spectrum are healthy relationships and on the other are abusive relationships or intimate partner violence (IPV). This type of violence happens in various relationships – family, friend or romantic and is quite common – https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html.

IPV can take many forms like physical, verbal or emotional, and sexual violence, and stalking. Other recognized forms include financial control, isolation from family and friends, and monitoring people’s movements and activities. Read about signs of IPV here – https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/domestic-violence/signs-domestic-violence. It is possible to experience IPV in same-sex relationships. Mainly people experience similar signs of IPV, with a few other possibilities like threats to “out you” to your family or telling you that police won’t help people who are LGBTQIA+.

Another common form of interpersonal violence is sexual assault and rape. People of all sexes can experience sexual assault and help is available to all. People often experience feelings of guilt and shame and thus don’t seek help.

Both of these types of violence can have a profound effect on people’s health and it is important to prevent them whenever possible through laws, policies, and cultural norms.

Being sexually healthy begins before sexual activity takes place and may include learning about your sexual and reproductive organs, going through the changes of puberty, learning to deal with the menstrual cycle, and so on. Young children learn about their sexual organs through exploration and may begin stimulating them because it brings them pleasure. This type of exploration is quite normal.

After puberty and sexual maturation begins, there may be some changes like ejaculation for people with penises and testes. People will need to learn how to start taking good care of their sexual and reproductive organs (see the Female and Male reproductive system posts). And people will want to develop a healthy sex life . This can include a variety of sexual activity, with other people or not.

Scientists started to study sexual response in the 1950s and 1960s and developed several ways to understand how human bodies react during desire, arousal and orgasm. Read more here – https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book-excerpts/health-article/models-sexual-response/. Often, sexual response starts with desire, which is something that happens in our brains when we think about something arousing, or we feel close to our partner, or we experience sensations (which includes images or sounds) that we find exciting.

When we decide to have sex with other people, it is important to communicate about sex and set expectations with each other. People may want to discuss what they like and don’t like, consent, and safer sex. Read more here – https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sex-and-relationships/sex/how-do-i-talk-my-partner-about-sex.

Tobacco is a plant that has a long history of cultivation in North America. It was a very important crop for the Native Americans, and eventually became a cornerstone of economic development in the United States.

The drug in tobacco that makes it addictive is nicotine. It is a mild stimulant and has several effects on the body. People use tobacco in several ways – most often people smoke cigarettes, but they can use it in other ways as well, like chewing it or inhaling vapor from e-cigarettes. Read more here https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cigarettes-other-tobacco-products.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most harmful health behavior because it is the number one cause of preventable death in the United States – https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm. Some of these risks are from nicotine, and some are from other substances that are contained in the smoke from tobacco products. Additionally, the smoke from cigarettes and other smoked products can affect the health of others. This is called secondhand or passive smoking and is linked to illness and death – https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/cessation-fact-sheet#what-are-the-risks-of-tobacco-smoke-to-nonsmokers.

People use tobacco in a variety of products – smoked and smokeless. Learn more about different tobacco products here – https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/recognize-tobacco-its-many-forms.

There has been a rise in the use of e-vaporizers or e-cigarettes in recent years. These products are not regulated in the same way as other tobacco products. They still deliver nicotine to the user (and are thus addictive), as well as a host of other chemicals which may be carcinogens. Recently, several cases of severe respiratory illness and one death was linked to the use of e-cigarettes – https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/illinois-patients-death-may-be-first-in-u-s-linked-to-vaping.

While rates of tobacco smoking have been steadily declining in recent years (the latest numbers show that 14% of people in the US smoke), there is no safe level of smoking or using tobacco.

Many people want to quit smoking or using tobacco, but they may not know how to start. There are many free and local resources available for quitting. Benefits of quitting are many and include a lower risk of illness and death, as well as less coughing, better breath and a brighter smile.