Sexual Health

Sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries. Sexual health, when viewed affirmatively, 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. The ability of men and women to achieve sexual health and well-being depends on their

access to comprehensive, good-quality information about sex and sexuality;
knowledge about the risks they may face and their vulnerability to adverse consequences of unprotected sexual activity;
ability to access sexual health care;
living in an environment that affirms and promotes sexual health.

Sexual health-related issues are wide-ranging, and encompass sexual orientation and gender identity, sexual expression, relationships, and pleasure. They also include negative consequences or conditions such as:

infections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their adverse outcomes (such as cancer and infertility);
unintended pregnancy and abortion;
sexual dysfunction;
sexual violence; and
harmful practices (such as female genital mutilation, FGM).

Sexual Rights Declaration

The Sexual Rights Declaration was presented and accepted at the 14th World Sexology Congress 1999 by the World Association for Sexual Health.

Sexuality is an integral part of every person's personality. The full development of sexuality depends on the satisfaction of basic human needs such as contact, privacy, emotional expression, pleasure, affection, and love. Sexuality occurs through the interaction between the individual and social structures. The full development of sexuality is one of the basic requirements for individual, interpersonal and social happiness/well-being.

Sexual rights are universal human rights based on freedom, dignity and equality of every human being. Since health is one of the main human rights, sexual health should also be a basic human right. To ensure the development of sexual health of individuals and societies, the following sexual rights should be recognized, encouraged, respected and defended by societies. Sexual health is possible in environments where these sexual rights are recognized, respected and implemented.

Sexual rights are human rights pertaining to sexuality:
1. The right to equality and non-discrimination
Everyone is entitled to enjoy all sexual rights set forth in this Declaration without distinction of any kind such as race, ethnicity, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, place of residence, property, birth, disability, age, nationality, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, health status, economic and social situation and other status.

2. The right to life, liberty, and security of the person
Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security that cannot be arbitrarily threatened, limited, or taken away for reasons related to sexuality. These include sexual orientation, consensual sexual behavior and practices, gender identity and expression, or because of accessing or providing services related to sexual and
reproductive health.

3. The right to autonomy and bodily integrity
Everyone has the right to control and decide freely on matters related to their sexuality and their body. This includes the choice of sexual behaviors, practices, partners and relationships with due regard to the rights of others. Free and informed decision making requires free and informed consent prior to any sexually-related testing, interventions, therapies, surgeries, or research.

4. The right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment
Everyone shall be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment related to sexuality, including: harmful traditional practices; forced sterilization, contraception, or abortion; and other forms of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment perpetrated for reasons related to someone’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and bodily diversity.

5. The right to be free from all forms of violence and coercion
Everyone shall be free from sexuality related violence and coercion, including: rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, bullying, sexual exploitation and slavery, trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, virginity testing, and violence committed because of real or perceived sexual practices, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and bodily diversity.

6. The right to privacy
Everyone has the right to privacy related to sexuality, sexual life, and choices regarding their own body and consensual sexual relations and practices without arbitrary interference and intrusion. This includes the right to control the disclosure of sexuality-related personal information to others.

7. The right to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual health; with the possibility of pleasurable, satisfying, and safe sexual experiences
Everyone has the right to the highest attainable level of health and wellbeing in relation to sexuality, including the possibility of pleasurable, satisfying, and safe sexual experiences. This requires the availability, accessibility, acceptability of quality health services and access to the conditions that influence and determine
health including sexual health.

8. The right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its application
Everyone has the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications in relation to sexuality and sexual health.

9. The right to information
Everyone shall have access to scientifically accurate and understandable information related to sexuality, sexual health, and sexual rights through diverse sources. Such information should not be arbitrarily censored, withheld, or intentionally misrepresented.

10. The right to education and the right to comprehensive sexuality education
Everyone has the right to education and comprehensive sexuality education. Comprehensive sexuality education must be age appropriate, scientifically accurate, culturally competent, and grounded in human rights, gender equality, and a positive approach to sexuality and pleasure.

11. The right to enter, form, and dissolve marriage and other similar types of relationships based on equality and full and free consent
Everyone has the right to choose whether or not to marry and to enter freely and with full and free consent into marriage, partnership or other similar relationships. All persons are entitled to equal rights entering into, during, and at dissolution of marriage, partnership and other similar relationships, without discrimination and exclusion of any kind. This right includes equal entitlements to social welfare and other benefits regardless of the form of such relationships.

12. The right to decide whether to have children, the number and spacing of children, and to have the information and the means to do so
Everyone has the right to decide whether to have children and the number and spacing of children. To exercise this right requires access to the conditions that influence and determine health and wellbeing, including sexual and reproductive health services related to pregnancy, contraception, fertility, pregnancy termination, and adoption.

13. The right to the freedom of thought, opinion, and expression
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, opinion, and expression regarding sexuality and has the right to express their own sexuality through, for example, appearance, communication, and behavior, with due respect to the rights of others.

14. The right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly
Everyone has the right to peacefully organize, associate, assemble, demonstrate, and advocate including about sexuality, sexual health, and sexual rights.

15. The right to participation in public and political life
Everyone is entitled to an environment that enables active, free, and meaningful participation in and contribution to the civil, economic, social, cultural, political, and other aspects of human life at local, national, regional, and international levels. In particular, all persons are entitled to participate in the development and implementation of policies that determine their welfare, including their sexuality and sexual health.

16. The right to access to justice, remedies, and redress
Everyone has the right to access to justice, remedies, and redress for violations of their sexual rights. This requires effective, adequate, accessible, and appropriate educative, legislative, judicial, and other measures. Remedies include redress through restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and guarantee of
non-repetition.

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Sex Therapy

Sex therapy is a type of psychotherapy that couples can undergo together, or that individuals can seek out on their own. While couples often look into sex therapy because of sexual dysfunction or when some part of their sexual relationship is off, it can also be used as a tool to keep relationships strong and transparent for years to come. It is typically a form of talk therapy, so couples or individuals can expect to talk about their hesitations or concerns when it comes to physical intimacy.

Types of Sex Therapy

Talk therapy is the primary method of sex therapy. Couples can expect to work on their general communication skills, explain the points of sensitivity that they've discovered in regard to sex in the past, and even expand on their knowledge of sex education.

Sensate focus is a behavioral form of sex therapy that hones in on the details of a couple's relationship, and then has them complete behavioral exercises. This can involve homework assignments that prompt couples to focus on physical interactions that they enjoy without the pressure of penetrative sex. This type of therapy typically also asks couples to take any sexual acts that might be causing anxiety off the table for a period of time. The goal is to enhance the way the couple experiences intimacy, and to help them build on that by working through any preexisting issues.

Many therapists will combine these types of therapy or work in aspects of both during different sessions.

After identifying the couple's attitudes about sex and the sexual problem, the sex therapist recommends specific exercises to refocus the couple's attention and expectations. Specific objectives may include any of the following:

Learning to relax and eliminate distractions
Learning to communicate in a positive way what you would like
Learning nonsexual touching techniques
Increasing or enhancing sexual stimulation
Minimizing pain during intercourse

What Sex Therapy Can Help With

Sex therapy can help you work through any mental or emotional hurdles that could be keeping you from enjoying sex with your partner. It can also help couples or individuals identify physical and emotional concerns that are keeping them from being able to enjoy or engage in intercourse.

As mentioned, this can include helping couples through desire discrepancies, but it can also help with sexual dysfunction. Dysfunctions can include pain during sex, premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, arousal disorders, or desire disorders. Desire and arousal disorders are often tied to underlying psychological concerns, which can be helpful to speak about with the therapist.
While many drug companies offer options to help men deal with sexual dysfunctions, studies have shown that many of the root causes of these dysfunctions stem from psychosocial behaviors like substance abuse or depression and anxiety. Sex therapy can help couples or individuals identify underlying behaviors that may be impacting their sex lives.

Benefits of Sex Therapy

Sex therapy can help with a range of relationship issues, however, it can also positively impact the overall mental outlook of those being treated. Here are some benefits that can come from sex therapy:

It can improve emotional intimacy between the couple, which can lead to an improved sense of fulfillment and happiness.
Having sex at least once a week has been shown to improve overall relationship satisfaction.4
It can help couples become better communicators, especially when it comes to intimacy and satisfaction.

What Can You See a Sex Therapist For?

Sexual activity (including intercourse, outercourse and masturbation) is a complex experience that involves emotional, mental and physical components. If you want and desire sex, sexual function is an important contributor to your quality of life. It’s associated with physical and mental well-being and relationship satisfaction.

Healthcare providers and sex educators break sexual activity down into four phases known as the sexual response cycle

Desire (libido)
Arousal (excitement)
Orgasm
Resolution

Sexual issues can arise at any point during this cycle. Knowing how you respond mentally and physically during each phase can improve your sexual experience and help you pinpoint causes of sexual dysfunction.

A sex therapist can help with the mental and emotional aspects of various forms of sexual dysfunction, including:

Lack of desire.
Lack of arousal.
Difficulty having an orgasm (anorgasmia).
Pain during sex (dyspareunia), such as from vaginismus.
Difficulty getting or keeping an erection (erectile dysfunction).
Premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation or other ejaculation.

Sex therapists can also help you work through challenges such as:

Sex education and correcting miseducation.
Sexual trauma.
Feelings of anxiety, fear or shame related to sex.
Issues related to gender identity and/or sexual orientation.
Issues around cultural, religious and societal views of sex.
Improving communication about sex and intimacy between you and your partner(s).
Mismatched sexual desire between partners.
Relationship issues stemming from sexual difficulties.
Poor body image and its relation to sex.
Coping with and living with sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Hypersexual disorder (sex addiction).
Pornography addiction.

What Happens During a Sex Therapy Session?

During sessions, you and your sex therapist will work together to identify and change thoughts and behaviors that are interfering with your sexual life. You may see your therapist by yourself or with your romantic or sexual partner(s).

Your therapist may ask you questions about your:

Health and sexual background.
Sex education.
Beliefs about sex.
Specific sexual concerns.

Talking about sex can be awkward or uncomfortable. Sex therapists recognize this and do their best to make you feel comfortable. As conversation is the main part of psychotherapy, you need to be actively involved in the therapy. The trust and relationship between you and your therapist are essential to working together effectively and benefiting from the therapy.

Your sex therapists may assign homework — activities and exercises that you do in the privacy of your home. This may involve experimentation, such as role playing, or exercises to build trust and intimacy — whether with yourself or with your partner(s).

It’s important to know that sex therapy sessions don’t involve any physical contact or sexual activity between you and your therapist. If you feel uncomfortable with any aspect of therapy, you should tell your therapist or stop seeing them and file a complaint.