"Human sexuality refers to all emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical experiences of humans related to their sexual nature." (Source: Human Sexuality: Personality and Social Psychological Perspectives by Craig Hill) In other words, sexuality encompasses all aspects of sex and romance. This includes initial attraction, religious and cultural views on sex, and sexual orientation.

Religious Attitudes on Sexuality

Note: Please remember that religion is very complex and not everyone in these religions necessarily adhere to these beliefs.

In Orthodox Judaism, sex is seen as something that is necessary in marriage. Although accepted as inevitable, contact with bodily fluids is seen as 'contamination' and that one must be cleansed before entering a temple or engaging in ceremonies. However, the contact with bodily fluids is not in any way exclusive to sex and pertains to menstrual blood as well. In Orthodox Catholicism, it is believed that sex should be used strictly for procreation. Native Americans did not believe that sex and nudity were particularly shameful. Many tribes allowed polygamy and women were allowed to choose their partners. The Chinese primarily believed in a system composed of Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) and used manuals to discuss an important topic. By the 3rd century BCE, 8 instruction manuals for sex were circulated. In Hinduism it is believed that sexual behavior is a healthy thing and that if a couple is in love, they should have enjoyable sexual experiences. Possibly the most famous manual on sexual positions, the Kamasutra, is of Hindu origins. Most sexual behaviors are accepted in Buddhism (i.e. masturbation and homosexuality), but monks give up pleasure for "spiritual enlightenment".

Adolescent Female Sexuality in Modern American

Girls are encouraged to be good at relationships and please everyone while being competitive and getting into good colleges. There are fewer alternative role models and fewer "acceptable" successful body types. To be successful in life and love, one must be thin, attractive, intelligent, hardworking, and aggressive (but not too aggressive) while maintaining normal social relationships and they must not show that it is difficult. (Source: The Triple Bind by Stephen Hinshaw Ph.D.) There is also the idea that a young woman must seem virginal and innocent, yet needs to be "experienced". For a long time there has been the double standard that men may explore sexually before marriage, but if a woman does the same she is looked at as being “easy”.

Despite the double standard, in the year 2007, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that 45.9% of high school females have had sexual intercourse. It was also found that 11.8% of high school females have had four or more sexual partners and that among those female that were sexually active, 45.1% of them had not used a condom in their last sexual encounter. The rates of oral sex were found to be high as well. In 2002 the CDC reported that 54% of high school females had engaged in oral sex with those of the opposite sex.

Sexual Orientation

•  A person who is heterosexual only finds members of the opposite sex attractive.

•  Those who find both sexes attractive are bisexual.

•  A person who is homosexual finds only members of the same sex attractive.

•  'Metrosexual', though technically not a sexual orientation, is a term to define a man who takes care of himself and dresses nicely, but is attracted to women.

Aspects of Attraction

Reproduction is a biological imperative because a species cannot survive without having babies. The way that a species chooses its mates is to find the individual that will give the offspring the greatest chances of survival. The sexual cells of each gender carry one set of chromosomes that it will pass on to the offspring, creating a mix of the traits of the parents.

It seems that symmetrical faces and bodies are more attractive, and it is primarily believed that it is because since better genes in better environments create equality on both sides of the body while those lacking in good genes or a great environment will have asymmatries. As for facial features, most people find faces with extreme gender differentiating features (large eyes in females, larger chins in males, fuller lips in females) more attractive than those in the middle. Strangely enough, symmetry can also be detected when only one side of the face is shown.

When women are ovulating, the weeks of the month that they are more likely to get pregnant, they prefer to be around strangers that they can possibly conceive (have babies) with, but when they are menstruating they prefer to be around their family or close friends. The theory is that women are more attracted to those who have a vastly different immune system so that when the genes are passed down to the offspring, they have a wider set of immunities.

Women during their menstrual cycle are rated less attractive by men then when they're ovulating. It is of biological advantage to be more attractive to someone who is able to conceive and have babies, something women cannot do when menstruating.

The only unnatural sexual behavior is none at all. - Sigmund Freud

Works Cited

"Health Risk Behaviors by Sex." 2 Apr. 2009. Center for Disease Control. 22 July 2009 <http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/pdf/yrbs07_us_disparity_sex.pdf>.

Hill, Craig A. Human Sexuality: Personality and Social Psychological Perspectives. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2008.

Hinshaw, Stephen. The Triple Bind. New York: Ballantine Books, 2009..

Human Sexuality. Vol. 2. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2006.

"Sexual Risk Behaviors." June-July 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 21 July 2009 <http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/sexualbehaviors/index.htm>

"Sigmund Freud, 1856 - 1939." Quotes of the Day. Ed. Van Horn. 21 July 2009 <http://www.qotd.org/search/search.html?aid=6264&page=3>.