Being interested in someone of the same sex does not necessarily mean that a person is gay — just as being interested in someone of the opposite sex doesn't mean a person is straight. It's common for teens to be attracted to or have sexual thoughts about people of the same sex and the opposite sex. It's one way of sorting through emerging sexual feelings. Some people might go beyond just thinking about it and experiment with sexual experiences with people of their own sex or of the opposite sex.
These experiences, by themselves, do not necessarily mean that a person is gay or straight. This abbreviation stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" or "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning". Transgender isn't really a sexual orientation — it's a gender identity. Gender is another word for male or female. Transgender people may have the body of one gender, but feel that they are the opposite gender, like they were born into the wrong type of body. People who are transgender are often grouped in with lesbian and gay as a way to include people who don't feel they fit into the category of being "straight.
Why are some people straight and some people gay? There is no simple answer to that. Most medical experts, including those at the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP and the American Psychological Association APA , believe that sexual orientation involves a complex mix of biology, psychology, and environmental factors.
Scientists also believe a person's genes and hormones play an important role. Most medical experts believe that, in general, sexual orientation is not something that a person voluntarily chooses. Instead, sexual orientation is just a natural part of who a person is. There's nothing wrong about being LGBT. While there is overlap between these two terms and bisexuality and polysexuality, some people may prefer to use one term over another.
This is a term that refers to those who experience romantic attraction, but not sexual attraction, to someone of any gender or sex. People who identify as polysexual feel sexual or romantic attraction toward more than one gender.
People who identify as skoliosexual typically only feel attraction toward people who are nonbinary. Spectrasexual is a term that describes those who are romantically and sexually attracted to multiple sexes, genders, and gender identities but not all of them. The Kinsey Scale, which was first published in , suggested that people did not fit into either heterosexual or homosexual categories.
The scale has six ratings, with an additional category:. Although groundbreaking at the time, the scale now presents some issues as it does not address all possible sexual orientations and identities. Learn more about the Kinsey Scale here. On one end of the sexual orientation spectrum, a person may only be attracted to women, and on the other end, a person may only be attracted to men.
In the middle of the spectrum are those who feel a range of sexual and romantic attraction toward different genders and sexes. It is important to remember that a person can feel different types of attraction to different genders.
For example, a person may feel sexual attraction to one or more genders and romantic attraction to different genders. Also, a person may identify with one sexual orientation and experience different levels of sexual and romantic attraction within that orientation. For example, one person who identifies as bisexual may greatly prefer women over men, and another may experience greater romantic attraction to women but stronger sexual attraction to other genders.
People may feel that labeling their sexuality helps them deal with any oppression or difficulties they face. It may also help them find a community in which they can share their experiences.
People may also find it helpful to know the terms describing other sexual orientations. They may also sit under an umbrella term but not find a label that accurately describes their experience. However, some people may find that choosing a label for their sexual or romantic orientation helps them form communities with other people who may share similar experiences. Learn more about the available mental health resources here.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. In Victoria, you can have two types of abortion: surgical and medication. Both types are safe and reliable. You can have a medication abortion up to nine weeks of pregnancy. You can have a surgical abortion from around six weeks of pregnancy onwards. Mifepristone, also called RU or the 'abortion pill', is used to terminate end a pregnancy up to nine weeks. Abortion is one of the most common and safest types of surgery in Australia.
Alcohol is responsible for most drug-related deaths in the teenage population. There are many people you can talk to who can help you overcome feelings of wanting to lash out. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Sexual health. Home Sexual health. Sexuality explained. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Different types of sexuality Discrimination based on sexuality Sexuality and mental health Helping someone struggling with their sexuality and mental health Where to get help.
The impact of the rise in parental age on kids and parents. Tips to make your kids more assertive. Does putting cabbage relieve swelling and stop breastfeeding? Decoding the big viral hack.
Kajol's take on gender-equal parenting hits all the right notes in this video. What's new in the beauty industry? Perfect manscaping tips for millennial men. When Shruti Haasan openly admitted to undergoing plastic surgery. How to care for your baby's skin the right way.
The perfect beauty product for oily skin. See all results matching 'mub'. Count: We have sent you a verification email. To verify, just follow the link in the message. Now Reading: 7 types of sexualities: Which one is yours? Share fbshare twshare pinshare Comments 0. There are as many as sixteen types of sexual orientations yet identified. Labels can be bad for some, while it can also help many channelize and identify the way they feel about themselves. Confused about what you might be?
0コメント