Vision of Sexual Health
Sexual health is a label commonly used to describe a state of wellbeing in relation to sexuality across the lifespan. It is often considered to have biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual dimensions, and is more than merely the absence of a sexual disease or dysfunction. Sexual health involves managing the benefits, risks, and responsibilities of sexual exploration and play, love and intimacy, pleasure and joy, as well as meaning making and spiritual transcendence.
Sexual health promotes the well-being of individuals and relationships and prevents undue adverse consequences to self and others. This means that sexual health involves a balance between sexual rights and sexual responsibilities. Sexually healthy individuals integrate sexuality in a manner that contributes to the well-being of their lives, while avoiding or reducing harmful consequences for themselves and others.
Sexual health is supported by open, honest, and direct communication about sexuality throughout the lifespan. Sexuality itself includes thoughts, fantasies, desires, attitudes, values, behaviors, roles, and relationships. Therefore, a very important way to improve sexual health is to improve sexual communication.
Finally, communities and even nations can be considered sexually healthy only to the extent that they provide support and resources to educate, support and protect the sexual health of their members. SASH is proud to contribute to the advancement of this important aspect of sexual health.