5 key characteristics of a sexually healthy relationship

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Compiled in this article are a collection of characteristics of a sexually healthy relationship. After reading this article, you’ll be able to improve upon current and future sexual relationships.

Introduction

Are you satisfied with your sex life?

If the answer to that question is no, or a yes with hesitation, it means that it could be so much better, so much hotter, and lead to much better orgasms. A Sexually Healthy Relationship is ideally a mutually satisfying relationship full of intimacy, orgasms, and fun. Ensuring that it’s both hot and healthy takes some effort.

The CDC recognizes that sexual health is an important aspect of someone’s health. It’s described as a holistic state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being concerning sex and sexuality. Sexual health isn’t just being free from diseases or ailments.

Benefits of a Healthy Sex Life

Sex and sexual health play an important role in people’s health and wellbeing. There are physical, psychological, and social factors that not only impact sexual health but our sexual past.

There are immediate benefits of having a great sex life and these include…

· Lower blood pressure

· Improved immune system

· Lower risk for heart disease

· Increased self-worth and self-esteem

· Decreased depression

· Decreased anxiety

· Natural pain relief

· Better sleep

· Increased intimacy

· Increased interpersonal skills

· Stress relief both physically and mentally

Being in a wonderful and healthy sexual relationship is associated with better overall well-being according to a study published August 2019 in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. However, that’s not to say that any relationship is good. This study found that being single was much preferred and healthier than being in a bad or even mediocre relationship. Sexual health is not about having lots of sex, it’s about having quality intercourse.

5 Key Characteristics of a Sexually Healthy Relationship include communication, Openness, trust, self-esteem, and learning. It’s not a matter of obtaining these aspects once and it is done. Instead, it’s about working on these constantly in a balanced way throughout the relationship.

Communication

Talking to your partner about what you like, what you need, what you don’t like, is important. Being honest with your partner allows for more growth and a closer connection.

Improving communication in a relationship can be difficult. Here are some tips to improve communication in a relationship.

· Communicate effectively with partners outside of the bedroom

· Communicate respectfully their desires to have sex, to not have sex, and everything in between

· Talk with your partner about sex before during and after it occurs

· Discuss different topics with your partner before having sex such as limits, contraceptives, condom use, kinks, and preferences.

· Communicate your intentions and expectations in a relationship.


Emotional Connection

Having that emotional bond with your partner ensures that sex is more than just physical. Sex is more than just a blow job, more than just a rim job, more than just reverse cowgirl. It’s important to build a close relationship when sex isn’t directly involved.

A lack of chemistry can have sex difficult or simply not enjoyable. 

Tips to improve a connection in a relationship:

· Do things together whether that’s cooking, a board game, an event, or going on a date.

· Spend time together just being in the same room

· Talk about fantasies with your partner

· Provide displays of affection when it’s not about sex

· Learn your partner’s love language and engage in that love language with them

Trust

Having complete trust in your partner and vice versa allows for both of you to be comfortable and safe with one another. That has sex in general better. It also makes experimentation much easier for both sides.

Being able to trust your partner with your body, and your heart is huge. 

Here are some tips to improve trust in a relationship:

· Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to build trust with your partner

· Talk about everything and be honest

· Respect your partner’s boundaries and limits

· Develop a sense for your partner’s body language

· Respect a no when it comes to sex whether it comes from you or your partner


Self-Esteem

Having a strong sense of self-esteem, self-worth, self-respect is a vital step to having a quality relationship with a partner. With all partners being comfortable in their skin, comfortable in their sexuality, comfortable with their bodies helps to have sex more comfortable.

Starting with yourself is important. 

Tips to improve self-esteem in a relationship:

· Appreciate your body in both sexual and not sexual events

· Masturbate by yourself or with a partner to explore your senses

· Deeply explore the topics of identity and orientation

· Be aware of the impact of negative sexual experiences including abuse, cultural norms, and gender roles.

· Acknowledging the past impacts of negative sexual experiences in your own life and start the healing process


Learning

A Willingness to learn is hot. Learn about yourself. Learn about your partner. Learn about different sexual health relationships. Learn about new concepts, kinks, and toys to add to your love life. Whether it’s trying out a new kink or a new sex toy, or something, it helps to bring excitement and bonding into the bedroom and your love life.

Tips to improve learning in a relationship:

· Watch sexual documentaries, or podcasts, to expand your understanding of sex holistically

· Read novels such as ‘Sex Plus: Learning, Loving, & Enjoying Your Body’ by Laci Green, or ‘The Coitus Chronicles’ by Olive Persimmon, or ‘Faking It: The Lies Women Talk About Sex & What They Reveal’ by Lux Alptraum.

· Follow sexual health experts on social media to get updated information on new studies and tips

· Discuss the things you learned with your partner.

· Approach your partner about the things you want to learn more about and explore those topics together.


Final Thoughts

True Sexual health requires a positive respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships free of coercion, discrimination, and violence. Sex is meant to be an intimate and positive experience. Integrating a healthy sex life into one’s life provides a degree of balance.

Taking a holistic approach to sexual wellness includes emotional, psychological, physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of all parties individually and collectively. Being in a good place yourself is just as important as being in a good place in a relationship.

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