Sexuality covers the entire human person. The sexual drive is a basic condition of human life; it is “one of the structuring energies of the human being, which permeates the entire human reality” 2 with a strong influence on the individual’s personality.
Similar to any evolutionary process, sexuality has stages, it evolves, but not necessarily in a linear way. Due to some conditioning factors – family environment, education, culture, religion, psychological issues, media, etc. -, occasionally the expected results in one of the stages may not be achieved. For this reason, this evolutionary path needs to be carefully accompanied by a serious formation, a true and honest education, appropriate for each phase of life and that respects the values that promote the person and his dignity.
In sex education, it is necessary to know that the conditioning factors mentioned above are not determinant and can be altered by changes in the environment where the young person lives. Therefore, they are considered malleable elements.
There are also elements considered to be stable, called “genetic sex” (biogenetic dimension, hormonal sex, brain dimension), which are difficult to change and can influence almost decisively in personal behavior .
Illustrative photo: robeo by GettyImages
Is there sexual determinism?
However, we cannot affirm that there is sexual determinism, because there are the most malleable elements that can be worked on, they being the ones that most interest in the field of sex education and that appeal to our responsibility and commitment as people. Thus, it is essential that parents and educators know these elements, so that they are able to help the “trainee” in the development of their sexual maturity .
If the young person has a biogenetic disorder, the person responsible for their training should be attentive and refer them to a professional in the field for a genetic and hormonal evaluation in order to help this young person in the process of sexual maturity. In the context of the most malleable factors, such as the family environment, education
received, cultural backgrounds, etc., the educator (father, mother, catechists) should promote favorable conditions for the young person to present a serene, harmonious, integrated sexual development, in order to reach sexual maturity and the necessary balance to have a happy life in response to the vocation of a life for the Kingdom of God, in love and in oblation.
The sexual instinct needs ordering, driven by the person’s own rationality, in order to achieve chaste life. The sexual ordering, or the balance of the affective-sexual life , is important not only for what refers directly to sexuality, but also for the person’s maturity or balance. Disintegrated sexuality can
generate disintegrated personalities.
Sexuality in the human species
To reduce sex education to its biological-physiological dimension or simply to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (DSI) or even to avoid pregnancy, is to be dishonest with our teenagers or young people, is to reduce human sexuality to the lowest level, or that is, considering sexuality on the
same level as animals. In the human species, sexuality reaches the ultimate level of evolution: it enters the level of consciousness.
It is evident that we cannot disregard its biological basis . In order to establish a safe sexual ethics, it is also necessary to base it on the basis of precise biological knowledge. However, when it comes to human sexuality, the level of consciousness shows that sexual behavior is an experienced behavior and
become human behavior. Human sexuality should be regarded as a reality of the whole person and his influence has repercussions in all manifestations of personal life.
