Main page | Recognized content | Subcategories |
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 typically 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/STDs), and birth control methods. (Full article...)
Selected article
Along with bisexuality and heterosexuality, homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation within the heterosexual–homosexual continuum. There is no consensus among scientists about why a person develops a particular sexual orientation; however, biologically-based theories for the cause of sexual orientation are favored by experts, which point to genetic factors, the early uterine environment, or both in combination. There is no substantive evidence which suggests parenting or early childhood experiences play a role when it comes to sexual orientation; when it comes to same-sex sexual behavior, shared or familial environment plays no role for men and minor role for women. While some hold the view that homosexual activity is unnatural, research has shown that homosexuality is an example of a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects. Most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation. (Full article...)
Selected image
Did you know
• ... that because of an effort to curb the spread of STDs, prostitution in Germany has been legal since the 1920s? (German prostitute pictured)
• ... that some people in the BDSM community are sexually aroused by being gagged? (ball gag pictured)
• ... that a strap-on dildo (pictured) may be used by heterosexual couples for the sexual practice of pegging?
• ... that the Exotic World Burlesque Museum is located on the site of an abandoned goat farm?
• ... that the story of Sada Abe (pictured), a woman who cut off her dead lover's genitals and carried them around with her for days, is one of Japan's most notorious scandals?
2004-2005
Human sexuality in the news
- 27 July 2023 – USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal
- A lawsuit is filed against Michigan State University in Michigan, U.S., accusing the school of "illegal secret votes" to prevent the release of 6,000 documents in the case of an investigation involving Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in 2018. (PBS NewsHour)
- 26 July 2023 –
- American actor Kevin Spacey is acquitted of nine sexual assault charges. (Reuters)
- 25 July 2023 – 2024 United States presidential election
- The presidential campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fires former National Review writer Nate Hochman for posting videos that include anti-LGBT and neo-Nazi content. (The Guardian)
- 25 July 2023 – 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
- The BBC apologises for asking Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak how many of the team are lesbians. (The Independent)
Get involved
For editor resources and to collaborate with other editors on improving Wikipedia's Human sexuality-related articles, see WikiProject Sexology and sexuality.
Topics
Tasks
- Cleanup listing for WikiProject Sexology and sexuality — bot-generated list of articles within the scope of this WikiProject tagged as needing attention
- Cleanup listing for WikiProject LGBT studies — bot-generated list of articles within the scope of this WikiProject tagged as needing attention
Related portals
Associated Wikimedia
The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
-
Commons
Free media repository -
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals -
Wikidata
Free knowledge base -
Wikinews
Free-content news -
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations -
Wikisource
Free-content library -
Wikiversity
Free learning tools -
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
-
Random portal
Purge server cache
Recent Comments