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Perspectives on Sexuality

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Perspectives on Sexuality
Healthy sexuality encompasses acknowledging that human beings are sexual beings as well as celebrating the diverse ways through which sexuality benefits individuals from the physical, spiritual, and emotional perspectives. Healthy sexuality is affirmative and enriches individuals’ lives since it enables individuals to control their sexual and reproductive behaviors with the absence of shame or guilt. Healthy sexuality also incorporates sexual expression through which individuals give and receive emotions and pleasure. This incorporates a wide range of activities ranging from sharing feelings, thoughts, and warm touches to physical intimacy. For healthy sexuality to work between a couple, several factors must be considered, including practice of good communication and strengthening trust so as to facilitate equality, respect, safety, and consent. An individual’s wellbeing involves the physical and mental welfare of the person (Psychology of Love and Intimacy, n.d). Sexuality makes a huge contribution towards a person’s wholeness as well as well-being. Some of the major issues related to sexuality include intimacy, marriage, and abstinence. Although the society has own beliefs concerning sexuality, the Holy Scriptures (the Holy Bible in particular) has important directives concerning sexuality, issues related to marriage and when individuals should engage in sexuality activities.
Most researchers have argued that intimacy has benefits, both physical and emotional, to individuals. Here, psychologists state that intimacy is more than just physical interaction and sexual encounters. Intimacy is a process where an individual is emotionally close to their partner. Individuals involved in an intimate relationship have knowledge on each other, care for each other, interdepend on each other, are mutual, have the tendency to think of themselves as ‘us’ rather than me, trust each other, have commitments and have frequent, strong, enduring, and diverse effects on each other (Balswick, & Balswick, 2008). For intimacy to be successful, individuals should be involved in authentic sexuality, where authentic sexuality in relationships is genuine, trustworthy, and believable. In the Holy Bible (Gen 1:31), God stated that sexuality is an integral part of a total being. Love is an important factor with respect to intimacy. There are many benefits associated with intimacy despite the fact that there are different types of intimacy that incorporate sexual, intellectual, experimental, and emotional. Health professionals state that there are numerous health benefits of sexual intimacy. From the medical perspective, intimacy helps in maintaining appropriate body weight since sexual activity burns an approximated 150 calories in half an hour (Hale, 2007).
AIDitionally, intimacy helps an individual to increase blood flow to all body parts. Improved blood circulation is realized because of increased heart rate and deep breathing. Moreover, sexual intimacy lowers cholesterol levels in the body, thus, reducing risk of acquiring cancer related conditions. From the psychological perspective, sexual intimacy reduces stress because sex brings relaxation. It also helps a married couple get closer together creating a bond that could either lead to reduced stress or bring physical health benefits that include regulation of blood pressure and body temperature. Sexual intimacy is also known to increase confidence as well as self-esteem (Hale, 2007). Doctors also maintain that it can help accelerate healing of wounds. Furthermore, the medical fraternity also state that sexual intimacy strengthens muscles and bones in the human body. In the same context, it increases libido due to boosting testosterone and estrogen hormones. In aIDition, intimacy also helps in managing pain. Here, doctors state that sexual intimacy helps individuals in relieving chronic pain. Sexual arousal increases levels of endorphins as well as corticosteroids, which work to raise the pain threshold easing the discomforts that are associated with arthritis, migraines, and menstrual cramps. It also helps in boosting immunity. It aids in increasing the level of antibodies, which implies that susceptibility to become infected reduces. For instance, in HIV patients, having a stable partner will help in delaying AIDS.
While some couples opt to abstain before marriage, others engage in the sexual activities before marriage. According to the views of religious leaders and cultural teachings, there is the purpose of abstinence before marriage. First, if an individual abstains, they do according to the wish of God and follow His instructions. Most, if not all, Holy Scriptures do not advocate for sex before marriage and so as most cultural teachings. The cultural teachings and the Holy Scriptures view it as immorality if done before marriage. Sexual desires usually entice an individual from doing the right things, as God requires. For instance, Lot’s daughters in the Bible, got their father drank and slept with him. (Gen 19:33). AIDitionally, Reuben, in Gen 35:22, slept with his father’s concubine. Among the consequences, an individual could be forced to marry the person they got involved with. For instance, in Ex 22:16 God stated, “And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife” (Bible Verses About Sex Before Marriage, 2013). AIDitionally, in 2 Peter 2:13-14, God says, “They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.” AIDitionally, abstinence before marriage could ensure that the weIDing day would be special and filled with excitement. Other purposes include following moral teachings that require and individual to abstain before marriage. Delaying sex until marriage is also said to have other purposes such as ensuring that the relationship becomes long lasting.
To determine whether an individual is practicing healthy sexuality, there are there major elements to consider. One of the factors is to assess their physical health. The physical health of an individual practicing healthy sexuality is a distinctive form those who are not. For instance, an individual who is practicing health sexuality is not stressed up and mostly not obese. Healthy sexuality works against these two ideas and emphasizes on improved bodily health. AIDitionally, such an individual is usually happy and effective when performing their duties. This is because their mind is stress free (Balswick & Balswick, 2008). The other way of determining the type of sexuality an individual is practicing is assessing their association with their partner. If the individual has increased attention towards their partner from the perspective that the individual talks about ‘them’ but not ‘themselves,’ shows that the person is practicing healthy sexuality. This would also show that the individual is not criticizing their partner and does not show sexual selfishness towards their partner. Moreover, including the partner would also show increased co-dependency. Here, both partners can rely on each other. The other way is assessing whether the individual avoids modern evils. Modern evils include engaging in sexual sins, one-night affairs as well as attending strip joints and massage parlors. If individuals are not practicing intimacy in their relationships, they should take several steps in ensuring that it happens.
Since communication is very important in a relationship, one of the steps to ensure intimacy is present in the relationship is to reinforce communication. The couple should ensure that they talk continuously and that no one is begging to be heard. AIDitionally, the individuals should ensure that they consider other spouse’s efforts of significant importance. Since individuals tend to be extremely cautious when in a relationship, the couple should include God in their relationship since safety is only found in God. The other step is to ensure that couples understand how to touch each other in non-sexual ways (Balswick & Balswick, 2008). This would be of great importance if a spouse is attending the strip joints and undertaking other sexual sins. To reinforce this further, a couple should turn their attention to each other so that the sinning spouse would stop visiting the strip joints. Finally, it is of great importance to ensure that fellowship both with God and with other Christians is established in order to ensure that God secures the relationship.
In conclusion, God requires individuals to practice healthy sexuality after marriage due to the benefits associated with it. Although there are numerous medical benefits associated with intimacy, God directed man to engage only in sexual activities only after marriage. Among the benefits of intimacy is to do as God requires of the human beings. This is so that they can acquire favor from Him, as well as to ensure that the relationship will be long term. From the psychological perspective, marriage intimacy helps individual to relive stress and be free of diseases since it raises bodily antibodies.

References
Balswick, J. K., & Balswick, J. O. (2008). Authentic human sexuality: An integrated Christian
approach. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Bible verses about sex before marriage. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Sex-Before-Marriage/
Hale, L. (2007). The physical benefits of love and intimacy. Retrieved from
http://www.drlizhale.com/the-physical-benefits-of-love-and-intimacy/
Psychology of love and intimacy. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://vorlon1.com/Chapter1c.htm