Sexual Health

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Latest News
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Seniors
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Sexuality is a big part of being human. Love, affection and sexual intimacy all play a role in healthy relationships. They also contribute to your sense of well-being. A number of disorders can affect the ability to have or enjoy sex in both men and women.

Factors that can affect sexual health include

• Fear of unplanned pregnancy
• Concerns about infertility
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease
• Medicines that affect sexual desire or performance

Start Here

• Sexual Health (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Sexual Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Latest News

• Ouch! Americans Injuring Themselves Grooming Pubic Hair (08/16/2017, HealthDay)
• Only about One-Third of Americans Use Condoms: CDC (08/10/2017, HealthDay)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Estrogen Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Testosterone Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Treatments and Therapies

• Sex Therapy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Related Issues

• Answers to Your Questions about Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity (American Psychological Association) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Answers to Your Questions for a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality (American Psychological Association) - PDF Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Chronic Pain Can Interfere with Sexuality (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Compulsive Sexual Behavior (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Infidelity: Mending Your Marriage After an Affair (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Sex Headaches (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Videos and Tutorials

• Healthy Sexuality (American Society for Reproductive Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Do Social Ties Affect Our Health? Exploring the Biology of Relationships (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: The impact of systemic lupus erythematosus on women's sexual functioning:...
• Article: Sexual and reproductive health in rheumatic disease.
• Article: Pilot RCT Results of an mHealth HIV Prevention Program for...
• Sexual Health -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Female Reproductive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Male Reproductive System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Children

• Masturbation (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Questions and Answers about Sex (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Sex Education: Talking to Toddlers and Preschoolers about Sex (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Understanding Early Sexual Development (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Teenagers

• Teen Sexual Health: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Men

• Erectile Dysfunction: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Sexual Problems in Men: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Women

• Sexual Problems in Women: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Seniors

• Sexual Health (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
• Sexual Health and Aging: Keep the Passion Alive (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Sexuality in Later Life (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish
• Sexuality in Older Adults (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Heart disease and intimacy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish