At a time when people are gaining awareness about the dynamics & negative effects of sexual abuse AND deconstructing puritanical sexual beliefs & misinformation, Doug Braun-Harvey offers us six principles of sexual health. These principles are important guideposts in a frequently neglected and obscured corner of mental health treatment–as well as human lifespan development more generally.

• pleasure: healthy sexuality leads to joy and/or empowerment (rather than detachment, and/or shame)
• consent: participants should be in full, active agreement to the particular sexual acts, time, place, people, etc.
• non-exploitation: secrecy and betrayal prevent partners from engaging in a psychologically-safe intimacy
• protection: healthy partners collaborate in preventing transmission of STI’s and unwanted pregnancies
• honesty: healthy partners voice their desires, limits, and ambivalence
• shared values: connections are built on common meanings

If you would like to examine how your life interfaces with these principles, please contact me. BTW, imagine how much psychological pain would be eliminated and how much pleasure would increase if adolescent sexual education raised conscientiousness about these intra-personal and interpersonal factors.