Understand what is considered sexual health
When you ask yourself, what is considered sexual health? you are really asking about far more than whether anything is “wrong” in the bedroom. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexual health is “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well‑being in relation to sexuality,” not just the absence of disease or dysfunction. It also includes your right to pleasurable and safe sexual experiences that are free from coercion, discrimination, and violence, with your sexual rights respected and protected (WHO).
In other words, sexual health is about how your body works, how you feel about yourself, how you relate to others, and whether you are able to express your sexuality safely and respectfully. It is an important part of your overall well‑being, just like heart health or mental health, and it matters throughout your entire life.
Explore the key parts of sexual health
Sexual health might sound like one topic, but it is actually a combination of several connected areas. Understanding each part can help you see where you are doing well and where you might want more support.
Physical sexual health
Physical sexual health covers how your body functions in relation to sex and reproduction. This includes:
- Protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Contraception and pregnancy planning, if this applies to you
- Hormonal health, such as menopause, low testosterone, or birth control side effects
- Sexual function, like arousal, lubrication, erection, or orgasm
- Recovery from illness or treatments that affect your body
For example, men’s sexual function is closely linked to overall health and blood flow. Nitric oxide, a molecule your body makes, helps keep blood vessels relaxed and wide so that blood can flow to the penis for an erection (University of Iowa Health Care). Lifestyle choices such as moving more, eating well, managing weight, limiting alcohol, and quitting smoking can improve that blood flow and support sexual performance.
Cancer treatment is another clear example. Many survivors experience changes in desire, arousal, or comfort during sex. These are common and can be addressed, especially when you talk openly with your care team, who can connect you with specialized sexual health resources (CDC).
Emotional and mental sexual health
Your thoughts and feelings about sex are just as important as what your body can do. Emotional and mental sexual health includes:
- How you feel about your body and your attractiveness
- Your sexual confidence and comfort with your desires
- How you handle sexual stress, anxiety, or shame
- Whether you feel safe expressing your sexuality
Research shows that positive sexual health is associated with lower depression and anxiety, better quality of life, and greater life satisfaction across many different groups, including older adults and couples of varying relationship types (WHO Bulletin). When you feel comfortable with yourself and your sexuality, it tends to ripple into other parts of your life.
Relationship and intimacy health
Sex rarely happens in a vacuum. Your relationships matter. This part of sexual health focuses on:
- The quality of your communication with partners
- Whether you can give and receive consent clearly
- Mutual respect and emotional connection
- Freedom from coercion, manipulation, or violence
Healthy intimacy is not just physical. It also includes feeling emotionally close, understood, and respected. When intimacy is strained, especially after events like illness or treatment, honest conversations and sometimes counseling can help you and your partner reconnect (CDC).
Sexual rights and safety
The WHO emphasizes that sexual health is not possible without sexual rights. These rights protect your ability to:
- Decide if, when, and how you are sexual
- Choose your partners, as long as everyone involved can consent
- Say yes or no to any sexual activity
- Live free from discrimination, violence, and coercion related to your sexuality or gender identity
Sexual rights are recognized in international and national human rights documents. They support your right to express your sexuality and enjoy sexual health within a framework of equality and respect (WHO).
Pleasure, satisfaction, and consent
A key shift in modern definitions of sexual health is the recognition that pleasure and satisfaction, along with consent, are central to well‑being. Sexual health is not only about avoiding problems. It also includes:
- Experiencing and valuing sexual pleasure
- Feeling satisfied with your sexual life, on your own or with others
- Ensuring that every sexual encounter involves clear, enthusiastic consent
A 2024 WHO review highlights that sexual pleasure is a crucial component of sexual health, influencing overall well‑being across life stages (WHO Bulletin). Yet, many traditional measures of sexual health focus mainly on problems such as dysfunction, and they often overlook pleasure and consent.
Bringing pleasure and consent into the conversation shifts the focus from “fixing what is broken” to “building a sexual life that feels positive and fulfilling for you.”
See how sexuality fits into your life
To fully answer “what is considered sexual health,” you also need to look at sexuality itself. The WHO defines sexuality as a central part of being human that includes:
- Sex and reproduction
- Gender identity and gender roles
- Sexual orientation
- Eroticism and pleasure
- Intimacy and relationships
Sexuality is shaped by many influences, including biological, psychological, social, cultural, economic, legal, political, historical, religious, and spiritual factors (WHO). This means your sexual health does not exist in isolation. It is affected by:
- The messages you heard about sex growing up
- Your culture or religion’s views on sexuality
- The laws and policies where you live
- Your access to healthcare and education
- Your past experiences, including any trauma
Recognizing these influences can help you understand why you might feel the way you do about sex, and why sexual health looks different for different people.
Learn why sexual health matters for overall well‑being
Sexual health is not an “extra” that you focus on only when there is a problem. It is a core part of your general health.
According to the WHO, sexual health supports not just physical outcomes, but also social and emotional well‑being, and it should be understood within real‑world social, economic, and political contexts (WHO). A positive approach to sexual health can:
- Improve your mood and reduce stress
- Boost your body confidence
- Strengthen your relationships and intimacy
- Support reproductive health and family planning
- Encourage safer sexual choices through better information and communication
Treating sexual health as a resource, not just the absence of illness, can shift the way you care for yourself day to day. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong, you can make gradual choices that support a satisfying, safe, and respectful sexual life (WHO Bulletin).
Practice everyday habits that support sexual health
You do not need a complete life overhaul to start improving your sexual health. Small, consistent choices can add up over time. Here are some areas to focus on.
Support your body
Many of the same habits that protect your heart and brain also benefit your sexual function.
-
Move your body regularly
Physical activity supports healthy blood flow, which is essential for sexual response, including erections in men (University of Iowa Health Care). -
Choose nourishing foods
A balanced eating pattern that supports a healthy weight can help with hormone balance, energy levels, and self‑confidence. -
Limit smoking and heavy drinking
Smoking and excessive alcohol can interfere with blood flow and sexual response. Cutting back or quitting often improves sexual function over time (University of Iowa Health Care). -
Keep up with checkups
Routine healthcare visits are an opportunity to screen for STIs, review medications that might affect your sexual function, and ask questions you might not feel comfortable raising elsewhere.
Manage stress and mental load
Stress affects your mind and your body, and it can significantly impact your sexual health.
When you are under chronic stress, your body releases hormones that constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow, which can interfere with arousal and erections. Stress can even blunt the effects of some erectile dysfunction medications (University of Iowa Health Care).
To manage stress in ways that support your sexual well‑being, you can:
- Build in short breaks during the day to decompress
- Try relaxation approaches such as deep breathing or gentle stretching
- Prioritize sleep as much as your schedule allows
- Say no to commitments that leave you exhausted or resentful
Over time, feeling more rested and less tense can make it easier to feel desire and to be fully present during sexual moments.
Communicate with partners
Open, respectful communication is one of the most powerful tools you have for better sexual health. You might find it helpful to:
- Share what feels good and what does not
- Talk about consent and boundaries in clear, direct language
- Discuss contraception and STI protection before you become sexual
- Revisit these conversations as relationships, health, or preferences change
If you are navigating changes related to illness or treatment, honest conversations can reduce misunderstanding and help both of you adjust your expectations. The CDC encourages cancer survivors to talk openly about sexual concerns so that healthcare providers can offer tailored guidance and referrals (CDC).
Seek professional support when you need it
Sometimes you can make progress on your own, and sometimes outside support makes a big difference. You might consider reaching out for help if you notice:
- Ongoing pain during sexual activity
- Difficulty with arousal, lubrication, or erection that worries you
- Low desire that feels out of sync with what you want
- Distress related to past sexual experiences or trauma
- Strain in your relationship around sex
Healthcare providers can assess physical causes, adjust medications, or refer you to specialized sexual health or intimacy counseling. Support can be in person or virtual, which makes it easier to access even if local options are limited (CDC).
Respect and affirm your sexual rights
A positive approach to sexual health is grounded in rights and respect. According to the WHO, sexual rights are human rights that allow you to fulfill and express your sexuality and enjoy sexual health within a framework that protects against discrimination (WHO).
In practice, this means you have the right to:
- Learn accurate, age‑appropriate information about sexuality
- Access sexual and reproductive healthcare without discrimination
- Express your sexual orientation and gender identity
- Decide what you do, and do not, want to do sexually
- Leave any situation or relationship that harms your dignity or safety
Knowing and affirming these rights can help you set boundaries, seek care, and move toward sexual experiences that feel aligned with your values.
Put it all together: your next steps
When you look at all these pieces, what is considered sexual health? becomes clearer. It is:
- Your physical sexual function and safety
- Your emotional and mental comfort with sexuality
- Your relationships and intimacy with others
- Your rights, consent, and freedom from harm
- Your pleasure and satisfaction, not just the absence of problems
You do not have to work on everything at once. To get started, you might choose one small step that feels manageable, such as:
- Scheduling a routine checkup and preparing one sexual health question to ask
- Starting a brief daily stress‑reduction habit
- Having a calm, honest talk with a partner about something you would like to try or change
- Reading more about consent and thinking through your personal boundaries
Sexual health is an ongoing process, not a single goal you either reach or miss. With information, support, and a positive, respectful mindset, you can move toward a sexual life that feels healthier and more fulfilling for you.
About the Author
