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Welcome to the human sexuality portal
Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied with historical contexts over time, it lacks a precise definition. The biological and physical aspects of sexuality largely concern the human reproductive functions, including the human sexual response cycle.
Someone's sexual orientation is their pattern of sexual interest in the opposite and/or same sex. Physical and emotional aspects of sexuality include bonds between individuals that are expressed through profound feelings or physical manifestations of love, trust, and care. Social aspects deal with the effects of human society on one's sexuality, while spirituality concerns an individual's spiritual connection with others. Sexuality also affects and is affected by cultural, political, legal, philosophical, moral, ethical, and religious aspects of life.
Interest in sexual activity normally increases when an individual reaches puberty. Although no single theory on the cause of sexual orientation has yet gained widespread support, there is considerably more evidence supporting nonsocial causes of sexual orientation than social ones, especially for males. Hypothesized social causes are supported by only weak evidence, distorted by numerous confounding factors. This is further supported by cross-cultural evidence, because cultures that are tolerant of homosexuality do not have significantly higher rates of it.
Evolutionary perspectives on human coupling, reproduction and reproduction strategies, and social learning theory provide further views of sexuality. Sociocultural aspects of sexuality include historical developments and religious beliefs. Some cultures have been described as sexually repressive. The study of sexuality also includes human identity within social groups, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and birth control methods. (Full article...)
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In 1916, Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States, which led to her arrest for distributing information on contraception. Her subsequent trial and appeal generated enormous support for her cause. Sanger felt that in order for women to have a more equal footing in society and to lead healthier lives, they needed to be able to determine when to bear children. She also wanted to prevent unsafe abortions, so-called back-alley abortions, which were common at the time because abortions were usually illegal.
In 1921, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League, which later became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. In New York City, she organized the first birth control clinic staffed by all-female doctors, as well as a clinic in Harlem with an entirely African-American staff. In 1929, she formed the National Committee on Federal Legislation for Birth Control, which served as the focal point of her lobbying efforts to legalize contraception in the United States. From 1952 to 1959, Sanger served as president of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. She died in 1966, and is widely regarded as a founder of the modern birth control movement. (Full article...)
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Did you know
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- ... that Ayu Utami's (pictured) 1998 novel Saman launched an Indonesian literary movement focusing on women's views of sexuality?
- ... that the children of Vietnamese prostitutes and American servicemembers from the Vietnam War were often forced into prostitution themselves?
- ... that Rihanna's "Birthday Cake", said to resemble a real-life quickie, lasts just 78 seconds?
- ... that Photo Bits, a British soft porn magazine published from 1898 to 1914, was the first pin-up magazine in the United Kingdom?
- ... that A Free Ride (credits pictured) is considered to be the earliest surviving American hardcore pornographic film?
January/February 2012
Human sexuality in the news
- 9 October 2024 – Censorship in Turkey
- Turkey bans the social media platform Discord after it allegedly refused to give government officials information related to "child sexual abuse and obscenity" and the murder of two women in Istanbul last week. (DW)
- 3 October 2024 – LGBT rights in Georgia
- Georgian LGBT propaganda law
- The Georgian Parliament Speaker signs into law a wide-ranging bill that bans gender transitioning and gender-affirming care, same-sex marriage and adoption, and depictions of LGBTQ+ people in media after the President refused to sign it, which chief European Union diplomat Josep Borrell states could prevent the nation's accession to the EU. (Politico)
- 3 October 2024 –
- Fawzia Amin Sido, a Yazidi woman who had been kidnapped at age 11 by the Islamic State in 2014 in Iraq and sold and trafficked to Gaza, is freed from captivity in Gaza following a secret operation involving the United States and Israel. The woman's captor is believed to have previously been killed in an Israeli airstrike. (Reuters)
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- Cleanup listing for WikiProject LGBT studies — bot-generated list of articles within the scope of this WikiProject tagged as needing attention
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