Sexuality

Sexuality (or sexual orientation) is about who you are attracted to both physically and emotionally.

There is no set age that people get to know their emotional and sexual feelings and it might take some time to work out what your sexual orientation is. Your sexual orientation might also change over time.

• What is sexuality?

  Sexuality (or sexual orientation) is about who you are attracted to both physically and emotionally. Sexuality is very diverse, some are attracted to people of the opposite gender, some are attracted to people of the same gender, some are attracted to more than one gender and some aren’t attracted to anyone. There are many different kinds of sexuality and you can read more about these on the LGBTQI+ pages. There is no “normal” sexuality, everyone is unique.

• How long does it take to work out your sexuality?

  There is no set age that people get to know their emotional and sexual feelings and it might take some time to work out what your sexual orientation is. Just remember that you do not have to feel rushed or pressured into giving yourself a label – take everything at your own pace! Your sexual orientation might also change over time and this is a common experience. You can also understand your sexual orientation before you are ready to have sex.

• What is the difference between gender identity and sexuality?

  Gender identity is distinct from sexual orientation. It refers to a person’s innate deeply felt psychological identification as a man, woman or other gender. This may be the same or different to the sex assigned at birth. More information on gender identity can be found here.

• What is the difference between romantic orientation and sexual orientation?

  Romantic orientation indicates the gender with which a person is likely to have a relationship or fall in love. This does not necessarily have to involve sex. This means that some people can have different sexual and romantic orientations, based on the perspective that sexual attraction is just a single component of a larger dynamic. For example, someone might be sexually attracted to more than one gender (bisexual) but might only be able to see themselves in a romantic relationship with someone of the same gender (homoromantic).

• LGBTQI+

  

  Here we look at some specific issues around sex, relationships and sexual health for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning (LGBTQ), including where you can go to get help and support if you are suffering from discrimination due to your sexual orientation.

  For more information on sexuality see our Sexuality pages here