Sexual Desire and Sexual Behavior
Sexual desire (libido) is a highly complex, multi-faceted concept that is challenging to define precisely. It is not only a reflection of biological drive but also the result of interactions among biological, psychological, sociological, and religious-cultural factors. Sexual desire is one of the fundamental instincts of humans, representing a desire to release sexual tension triggered by sexual stimuli, based on certain physiological and psychological foundations. Sexual stimuli can consist of unconditional sensory inputs such as touch, vision, hearing, smell, and taste, or conditional stimuli rooted in cognitive activities such as sexual fantasies, sexual awareness, sexual knowledge, and sexual experiences. Sexual desire can be categorized into two types: contact desire and tension-release desire. In women, it manifests as the desire for physical affection and vaginal acceptance.
Sexual desire is generally not obvious before puberty, begins to increase during adolescence, and matures with sexual maturity. Mature sexual desire refers to post-puberty sexual desire, which gives sexual behavior reproductive significance. Even after menopause, sexual desire gradually diminishes but can be maintained throughout life.
Sexual behavior refers to actions and activities undertaken for reproduction, satisfying sexual desire, or attaining sexual pleasure. It can be classified into narrow and broad definitions. Narrowly speaking, sexual behavior specifically refers to sexual intercourse (defined as penile-vaginal intercourse) and is associated with reproductive purposes. Broadly, sexual behavior encompasses various actions involving sexual stimulation, such as kissing, hugging, fondling, masturbation, oral sex, anal sex, and autoerotic activities, as well as broader preparatory, symbolic, or sexually related behaviors, such as reading adult magazines or watching adult films. The functions of human sexual behavior include reproduction, pleasure, and health maintenance, and are significantly influenced by societal customs, moral standards, and legal regulations.
Sexual behavior can be categorized into purposive, processual, and marginal types based on the level of sexual desire satisfaction. Purposive sexual behavior refers to actions aligned with the "biological purpose" of intercourse, specifically sexual intercourse. Processual sexual behavior includes other forms of sexual activity like fondling, kissing, masturbation, and oral sex. Marginal sexual behavior is a more ambiguous concept and includes emotionally intimate interactions with sexual significance that fall somewhere between sexual and non-sexual activities, such as eye contact and flirtation between a couple or physical contact between opposite-sex individuals in social situations that evoke the "heterosexual effect." In reality, sexual behavior explicitly for reproductive purposes is relatively rare.
Based on the sexual object, sexual behavior can be divided into personal sexual behavior and social sexual behavior. Personal sexual behavior refers to activities where the sexual object is one's own body, an object, an animal, an imaginary person, or where a sexual object is absent. Social sexual behavior involves another person as the sexual object, including individuals of the opposite or same sex, as well as post-mortem bodies.
Sexual behavior can also be classified as normal or abnormal based on societal acceptance and its effects on mental and physical health. Sexual behavior that aligns with societal moral standards of the time and benefits health is considered normal, while the opposite is viewed as abnormal. The distinction between the two can vary with changes in societal culture, historical context, and social progress.
The continuous sequence of sexual behaviors is referred to as sexual life. In the context of purposive sexual behavior, it involves the exchange of mutual sexual signals, foreplay, intercourse, and post-coital affection. Sexual desire functions as the driving force of sexual life, while sexual life acts as the medium for releasing sexual tension. Ideal sexual life is characterized by mutual consent, harmony, pleasure, full physiological release, emotional relief, and spiritual enjoyment.
Factors Influencing Sexual Desire and Sexual Behavior
Sexual desire and sexual behavior in humans result from the interaction of multiple factors.
Physiological Factors
Sexual desire and sexual behavior are instinctive. Individual genetic traits, the anatomical structure of reproductive organs, and the physiological regulation of the neuroendocrine system form the biological basis of sexual desire and behavior.
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors are uniquely significant in human sexual behavior, directly influencing its motivation and manner. They also play an indirect role through their effects on gender identity and sexual orientation. Gender identity refers to the recognition and acceptance of the sex assigned at birth. By the age of 3 to 4, children begin identifying with the gender ascribed to them by parents and society, influencing their lifelong gender-related characteristics in appearance, speech, behavior, interpersonal interactions, and occupational activities. While the vast majority of individuals align with their socially assigned gender, about 0.2% to 0.6% exhibit behaviors and traits inconsistent with their assigned gender, a phenomenon referred to as being transgender. This does not include cases of gender misassignment due to congenital genital abnormalities.
Sexual orientation describes an individual’s enduring attraction to a particular gender as a sexual partner. The majority of people are heterosexual, while approximately 5% of men and 2% of women are homosexual (attracted to the same sex). A minority may have a bisexual orientation. Transgender identity and homosexuality are unrelated. Most transgender individuals are heterosexual, although some may be homosexual. Neither transgender individuals nor homosexual individuals exhibit personality disorders, despite being statistical minorities.
Genetic Factors
Genetic studies on twins indicate that long-term sexual function levels and susceptibility to sexual dysfunction are primarily influenced by genetic factors, while short-term changes in sexual function are more influenced by environmental factors.
Social Factors
Human social attributes shape sexual behavior into a distinct social phenomenon. Interpersonal relationships between the sexes are foundational to all human relationships. Society, through its customs, religions, ethics, regulations, and laws, modifies and restrains the content and expression of personal sexual behavior, imposing social constraints on its practice. However, as scientific understanding progresses and awareness of human behavior deepens, societal recognition of the diversity of sexual behavior continues to evolve.