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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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The ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated phallic festivals and built a shrine with an erect phallus to honor Hermes, messenger of the gods. Those figures may be related to the Egyptian god Min who was depicted holding his erect phallus. Figures of women with a phallus for a head have been found across Greece and Yugoslavia. Phallic symbolism was prevalent in the architecture of ancient Babylon, and the Romans, who were deeply superstitious, often used phallic imagery in their architecture and domestic items. The ancient culture of many parts of Far East Asia including Indonesia, Mali, and the Buddhist parts of Korea and Japan, also used the phallus as a symbol of fertility in motifs on their temples and in other areas of everyday life. (Full article...)
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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 April 2025 –
- At least 114 people suspected of entering the United States illegally are detained in a raid by the DEA and ICE at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, which had been investigated for drug trafficking and prostitution. (AP) (NPR)
- 16 April 2025 – Transgender rights in the United Kingdom, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers
- The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom rules that legal gender is based upon biological sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010. (BBC News)
- 14 April 2025 – LGBTQ rights in Hungary
- The Hungarian government passes several constitutional changes that affect LGBTQ rights, including a provisional law that says people can only be male or female and codifying a law that bans LGBTQ events, including Budapest Pride. (DW)
- 9 April 2025 – 2028 Summer Olympics
- The International Olympic Committee announces the program for the upcoming Olympic Games in Los Angeles with new events in multiple sports and mixed gender events. (USA Today)
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For editor resources and to collaborate with other editors on improving Wikipedia's Human sexuality-related articles, see WikiProject Sexology and sexuality.
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- 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
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