Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Sexual Intimacy

I wanted to comment about our class discussion on sexual intimacy the week before spring break.  I really enjoyed class because it was the first time I have seen sexual intimacy presented in a respectful way in my college experience.  All of my other classes that have talked about sex made light of it.  They never seemed to address all the aspects of sex:  the physiological, psychological, spiritual, emotional, and social.  I've mainly heard the physiological with a little emotional and perhaps social; however, my beliefs tell me that there are more aspects to sex.  

Approaching sexual intimacy from this standpoint, that is that sex is comprised of 5 aspects, is important to professional development.  As we discussed in class, a professional must be aware of what aspect of sexual intimacy has been affected for a client.  For example, the psychological aspect must be carefully examined for a client who has been a victim of sexual assault.

As for my professional development, I want to always keep in mind the truth that there are five aspects to sex and that it is my responsibility as a parent to help my children understand those aspects.  We talked about this in class:  parents have to talk to their children about sex.  I wish I could say that I'm excited to teach them the truth about sex; however, anticipating the awkwardness of those talks makes me squirm thinking about it.  I know teaching my children about sex is important, and I believe that thinking now about how I'm going to answer their questions will ease the awkwardness and prepare me to share with them the truth.  

1 comment:

ldah said...

I agree with your comments about our class discussion about sexual intimacy. It is important to remember that sex doesn't isn't simply something that is just physical. All the aspects of sex play a huge role in sexual intimacy and this is why it can be such a sensitive issue for many people.

When I think about all the aspects of sexual intimacy, it gives me great respect for people who save themselves for marriage. To me, I view this as respect for their own self and body, but also that they have a true understanding of the changes they will experience emotionally, spiritually, socially, and psychologically.

As you had stated, this is also why people who experience sexual assault are so greatly affected. Sexual intimacy is more than just the act of doing something, it involves emotional and spiritual connects to your own personal life and any experiences may alter how you view yourself or others.