Sexual health basics

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Sex is part of being human. Love and feelings of closeness play a role in healthy relationships from childhood through old age.

Sexual health is as important as physical, mental and spiritual health. Being sexually healthy allows for:

  • Having healthy relationships.
  • Planning pregnancies.
  • Preventing diseases.

It's vital to know about sexual health and what it takes to have a good sex life. And it's just as important to be aware of what causes problems in sexual health. Don't let being uneasy keep you from bringing up worries or questions with a member of your health care team.

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Oct. 19, 2023

See also

  1. Antidepressants: Which cause the fewest sexual side effects?
  2. Preejaculation fluid and pregnancy
  3. Birth control options
  4. Chemotherapy and sex: Is sexual activity OK during treatment?
  5. Choosing a birth control pill
  6. Delaying your period with hormonal birth control
  7. Discolored semen: What does it mean?
  8. Erectile dysfunction and diabetes
  9. Extended-cycle birth control and spotting
  10. Female orgasm: No climax with vaginal penetration?
  11. Frequent sex: Does it protect against prostate cancer?
  12. Health issues for gay men
  13. Health issues for lesbians
  14. Healthy sperm: Improving your fertility
  15. Heart failure and sex: Is it safe?
  16. High blood pressure and sex
  17. Infographic: HPV Related Oral Cancers
  18. HPV vaccine
  19. Loss of sex drive in men: Natural with aging?
  20. Male masturbation: Does frequency affect male fertility?
  21. Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs and symptoms of syphilis
  22. Pap smear: Do I need one if I'm a virgin?
  23. Penis fracture
  24. Penis health
  25. Penis enlargement
  26. Prostatitis and sex
  27. Psoriasis and intimacy
  28. Psoriatic arthritis and intimacy: Tips for a better relationship
  29. Senior sex tips
  30. Sex after pregnancy: Set your own timeline
  31. Sex and COVID-19
  32. Sex during vaginal infection: Is it harmful?
  33. Talking to your teen about sex
  34. STD testing
  35. Testosterone therapy in women
  36. Testosterone therapy: Potential benefits and risks as you age
  37. Vagina
  38. Viagra for women: Does it exist?
  39. Women's sexual health
  40. Yeast infection in men: How can I tell if I have one?