Sexual Health and Wellness
At Options Mankato, we take a holistic approach to personal, relational, and sexual wellness. We do not view health as the absence of disease, but rather the presence of wellness in all areas of life.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) also takes a holistic approach to defining sexual health. From this holistic perspective, the MDH recognizes that sexual health includes emotional, psychological, physical, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions, and they acknowledge that sexual well-being is a state of well-being in all five of these areas; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. The MDH further states that “sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence. Characteristics of sexually healthy adults develop over a life-span, from cradle to grave. Integrating sexuality into one’s life in a balanced way is a life-time endeavor.”
Here are some suggestions from the MDH to promote sexual wellness:
Communication
Communicate effectively with family and friends
Ask questions of other adults about sexual issues, when necessary
Accept refusals of sex without hostility or feeling insulted
Physically express feelings of attraction and desire in ways that do not focus on the genitals (ex: holding, caressing, kissing, etc.)
Talk with a partner about sexual activity before it occurs, including limits and meaning in the relationship
Communicate with partners their intentions for the relationship (ex: only dating, want marriage)
Listen to and respect others’ boundaries and limits
Be sensitive to non-verbal cues of others’ boundaries and limits
Relationships
Develop friendships that do not have a sexual agenda
Avoid exploitative relationships
Choose partners who are responsible, trustworthy, safe and giving
Be sexually intimate without being physical (ex: talk about sexual feelings, verbally express attraction, do things that awaken desire in partner)
Take personal responsibility for their own boundaries
Self-esteem and self-worth
Appreciate their own bodies
Be sensually aware and able to stay conscious in their bodies
Have the capacity to nurture themselves and others, and accept nurturing from others
Know when they need touch rather than sex and try to get their needs for touch met appropriately
Have a developed sense of self, an understanding of who they are
Enjoy sexual feelings without necessarily acting upon them
Accept refusals of sex without hostility or feeling personally insulted
Allow themselves to be vulnerable
Become aware of the impact of negative sexual experiences such as sexual abuse, and the impact of negative cultural messages on one’s sexual development
Take steps to address issues that have arisen as a result of past experiences
Education
Realize the consequences of sexual activity
Comprehend the impact of media messages on thoughts, feelings, values, and behaviors related to sexuality
Values
Show respect to others whose cultural values, ethnic heritage, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and gender are different from theirs
Contraception, protection, and body integrity
Take responsibility for their own bodies
Practice health-promoting behaviors, such as regular checkups, breast or testicular self-exams, regular and routine testing for STDs
Spirituality
Honor the sacred aspect of sexual union
Understand that sexual energy is not separate from being human
Understand that sexual union is one way human beings connect body and soul
While the MDH recognizes five areas of whole-person wellness, at Options Mankato, we also recognize a sixth category – financial. We utilize an evidence-based curriculum called REAL Essentials that promotes wellness and intimacy in relationships in all six categories, as well as strategies for avoiding the implications of certain behaviors.
To learn more about REAL Essentials relationship education and how to take a holistic approach to relationship health and wellness in the six categories mentioned above, contact us at 507-625-2229.
Cited Sources: Minnesota Department of Health