Effects of Sexual Practices on Behavioral Changes - Understanding the Interlinking

Introduction:

It is very important to understand the consequences of various sexual practices as they also affect a person's mental and social well-being, apart from physical consequences such as unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs and STIs). Sexual practices a person conducts profoundly influence their behavior and mental health, as supported and established by numerous study data.

What Are the Different Types of Sexual Practices?

1. Healthy Sexual Practices With Consent:

• Sexual intercourse is penis-to-vagina sex.

• Anal sex, which is penis-to-anus sex.

• The oral sex is penis-to-mouth or mouth-to-vagina stimulation.

• Masturbation that is stimulating one's genitals for sexual pleasure.

• Kissing for sexual pleasure.

2. Unhealthy Sexual Practices Generally Forced or Risky:

• Risky sexual behavior, such as sexual intercourse without a condom or barrier, may lead to exposure to sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

• Practicing sexual intercourse without a condom and contraceptives may lead to an unplanned pregnancy.

• Casual sex is sex without romantic engagement.

• Some abusive sexual practices include sexual assault, demanding sex on condition for assistance, forcing sex on someone, forcing a person to engage in pornography or prostitution, unwanted touching of a sexual nature, and childhood sexual abuse.

What Are the Behavioral Characteristics of a Person With Healthy Sexual Practices?

A healthy sexual practice includes all the dimensions of a person's life, including physical, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and emotional.

Effects on Communications:

• Communicate effectively with friends and family.

• When necessary, they contact other adults for help discussing sexual issues.

• Interact with all genders respectfully and appropriately.

• Effectively communicate and negotiate their sexual limits.

• Converse respectfully to express their desire to have sex and not to have sex.

• Accept the refusal of sex without feeling insulted or inferior.

• Able to physically express desire and attraction that does not solely focus on genital pleasure, such as hugging, kissing, caressing, and holding hands.

• Talk to the partner about sexual activity beforehand, including contraception and condom use.

• Communicate with partners about their intentions for the relationship, such as just for dating or marriage intention.

• Listen and pay respect to other people's boundaries and limits.

• Also sensitive to nonverbal cues and hints of others' limitations and boundaries.

Effect on Relationship:

• Develops friendship without sexual agenda.

• Avoid exploitative relationships.

• Chooses partners who are trustworthy, responsible, and safe.

• Taking sexual intimacy without being physical such as talking about sexual feelings, expressing attraction, do things that can influence desire in the partner.

• Take personal responsibility for their limitations.

Effect on Self-Esteem and Self-Worth:

• Appreciate and be comfortable with their own body.

• Conscious and sensually aware of their bodies

• Ability to touch their own body without feeling disgusted or guilty.

• Allow themselves to experience pleasure from sensual and sexual feelings.

• Capacity to nurture themselves and others.

• Feel joy in sexual experiences with the partner.

• Knows when they need touch, such as a hug and kiss, rather than sex.

• Have a developed sense of self and understanding of who they are.

• Enjoys textual desire without necessarily acting upon them

• Allow themselves to be vulnerable.

• Comfortable with their own sexual identity and orientation

• Well aware of the consequences of negative sexual experiences, such as sexual abuse.

• Taking steps to address issues because of past experiences.

• Work through sexual issues effectively and understand it is necessary to heal psychological and emotional wounding.

Effects on Educational Qualities:

• Realizes the consequences of sexual activity.

• Can effectively comprehend media messages' impact on thoughts, feelings, and behavior related to sexuality.

• Understand that sexual drive is powerful and can integrate into one's life positively and healthily.

• Respect and understand the right of all people to enjoy and engage in a full range of consensual and non-exploiting sexual activities.

Effect on Value System:

• Can effectively decide what is personally right for them and act on those values.

• Demonstrate tolerance for people with different values.

• Does not feel threatened by people with different sexual orientations from theirs.

• Show respect to all other people's cultural values, ethnic heritage, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and gender.

Effect on Bodily Integrity:

• Take responsibility for their own body.

• Use contraception effectively to avoid unplanned pregnancy.

• Use of barriers such as condoms for sex to avoid contracting STDs and STIs.

• Practices of health-promoting behavior include regular health check-ups, breast or testicular self-exams, and screening for STDs and STIs.

What Are the Effects of Different Abusive Sexual Practices on Behavior?

Unhealthy sexual practices, including sexual abuse, have been correlated with the following behavior changes;

1. Depression:

It Is the most common long-term symptom of unhealthy sexual practices. A person with unhealthy sexual practices may have difficulty externalizing the abuse resulting in the following symptoms;

• Negative self-thought.

• The feeling of worthlessness.

• Avoid other people because they feel they have nothing to offer.

• Disturb sleeping pattern.

• Suicidal ideation.

• Disturbed eating pattern.

2. Self-Blame:

The person undergoing assault frequently takes responsibility for the abuse. Victims often blame themselves, internalize negative messages, and exhibit self-destructive behavior such as;

• Shame.

• Self-blame.

• Eating disorders.

3. Somatic Concerns:

Medical problems such as headache, pelvic pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, and difficulty swallowing may occur.

4. Psychological Problems:

• Chronic anxiety with or without frequent panic attacks.

• Phobia.

• Dissociative patterns include feelings of confusion, disorientation, nightmares, flashbacks of assault, and difficulty in expressing emotions.

• Repression refers to amnesia to forget the trauma may also occur depending on the severity of abuse.

5. Sexual Problems:

• Avoids feelings.

• Avoids touch.

• Lacks interest in sexual activity.

• Participating in unsafe sexual activities.

• Experiencing negative feelings such as anger, disgust, or guilt with a sensual touch.

• Having difficulty becoming aroused or feeling sensations

• Feeling emotionally absent or distant during sex.

• Experiencing disturbing sexual thoughts and images.

• Tendency to engage in compulsive or inappropriate sexual behavior.

• Experiencing vaginal pain or orgasmic difficulties in the case of women and experiencing erectile, ejaculating, or difficulties in orgasm in the case of men.

7. Relationship Problems:

• Experience difficulties with trust.

• Apprehension of intimacy.

• Fear of being different or weird.

• Difficulty establishing interpersonal boundaries and limits.

• They tend to get involved in abusive relationships.

• Inability to maintain an intimate emotional relationship.

Conclusion:

In general, healthy sexual practices are associated with increased positive affect and decreased negative effects on an individual's behavior. However, they vary in context to factors such as partner type, sex type, condom use, or other safety associations. Cases of healthy sexual practices such as casual sex, sexual assault, and sexual abuse are associated with higher negative effects. As mentioned in this article, individuals who have suffered from unhealthy sexual practices can benefit from psychotherapy and counseling for their overall health and interpersonal relationship with their partners.