Editing Human sexuality (section)

==Psychological aspects==
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As one form of behavior, the psychological aspects of sexual expression have been studied in the context of emotional involvement, gender identity, intersubjective [[intimacy]], and Darwinian reproductive efficacy. Sexuality in humans generates profound emotional and psychological responses. Some theorists identify sexuality as the central source of human personality.<ref>{{cite book |author=John Russon |title=Bearing Witness to Epiphany: Persons, Things, and the Nature of Erotic Life |publisher=State University of New York Press |location=Albany |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4384-2504-7 |author-link=John Russon }}</ref> Psychological studies of sexuality focus on psychological influences that affect sexual behavior and experiences.<ref name="Rathus, Spencer A. 2007" />{{page needed|date=February 2016}} Early psychological analyses were carried out by [[Sigmund Freud]], who believed in a [[Psychoanalysis|psychoanalytic]] approach. He also proposed the concepts of [[psychosexual development]] and the [[Oedipus complex]], among other theories.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/ss/psychosexualdev.htm |title=What is Psychosexual Development? |author= Cherry, Kendra|publisher=About.com |access-date=12 October 2009}}{{better source|date=February 2016}}{{better source|date=February 2016}}</ref>

Gender identity is a person's sense of their own [[gender]], whether male, female, or [[Non-binary gender|non-binary]].<ref name="MorrowMessinger">''Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression in Social Work Practice'', edited by Deana F. Morrow and Lori Messinger (2006, {{ISBN|0231501862}}), p. 8: "Gender identity refers to an individual's personal sense of identity as masculine or feminine, or some combination thereof."</ref> Gender identity can correlate with [[assigned sex]] at birth or can differ from it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-terminology-and-definitions|title=Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions |first=Human Rights|last=Campaign}}</ref> All societies have a set of gender categories that can serve as the basis of the formation of a person's [[social identity]] in relation to other members of society.<ref>V. M. Moghadam, ''Patriarchy and the politics of gender in modernising societies'', in ''International Sociology'', 1992: "All societies have gender systems."</ref>

Sexual behavior and intimate relationships are strongly influenced by a person's sexual orientation.<ref name="Coon, D. 2007">Coon, D., & Mitterer, J.O. (2007). Introduction to psychology: gateways to mind and behavior (11th ed.). Australia: [[Thomson/Wadsworth]].</ref>

Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of [[Romance (love)|romantic]] or [[Sexual attraction|sexual]] attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex, same sex, or both sexes.<ref name="Coon, D. 2007"/> Heterosexual people are romantically/sexually attracted to the members of the opposite sex, gay and lesbian people are romantically/sexually attracted to people of the same sex, and those who are bisexual are romantically/sexually attracted to both sexes.<ref name="AmPsycholAssn-whatis"/>

The idea that homosexuality results from reversed gender roles is reinforced by the media's portrayal of male homosexuals as effeminate and female homosexuals as masculine.<ref name="King, B. 2009"/>{{page needed|date=February 2016}} However, a person's conformity or non-conformity to gender stereotypes does not always predict sexual orientation. Society believes that if a man is masculine he is heterosexual, and if a man is feminine he is homosexual. There is no strong evidence that a homosexual or bisexual orientation must be associated with atypical gender roles. By the early 21st century, homosexuality was no longer considered to be a pathology. Theories have linked many factors, including genetic, anatomical, birth order, and hormones in the prenatal environment, to homosexuality.<ref name="King, B. 2009"/>{{page needed|date=February 2016}}

Other than the need to procreate, there are many other reasons people have sex. According to one study conducted on college students (Meston & Buss, 2007), the four [[Portal:Main|main]] reasons for sexual activities are; physical attraction, as a means to an end, to increase emotional connection, and to alleviate insecurity.<ref>{{cite book |title=Psychology |url=https://archive.org/details/psychology0000scha |url-access=registration |year=2011 |publisher=Worth Publishers |page=[https://archive.org/details/psychology0000scha/page/336 336]|author1=Daniel L. Schacter |author2=Daniel T. Gilbert |author3=Daniel M. Wegner }}</ref>