Home » Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
Home » Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
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Posted:09/09/2024
Alice Hoddinott, Education and Wellbeing Specialist, Brook
When it comes to sex, do you worry more about catching an STI, or catching feelings? Using condoms is one way to practise safer sex, but if the brain is the body’s biggest erogenous zone, how do we protect it?
For decades Brook has taken a holistic approach to sexual health, recognising that physical and emotional wellbeing are inseparable. But with mental health in decline and STIs on the rise, it’s more important than ever to talk about how the two intersect. That’s why forSexual Health Week 2024: Are You Feeling It? we will be shining a light on the inextricable links between mental health and sexual health and demonstrating the positive impact of early intervention.
Let’s explore five key ways in which mental health and sexual health are connected.
1. Impact of sexual health on mental health
Whilst there are lots of treatment and support options for people’s sexual health, embarrassment around seeking help and lack of education means it can still be a very anxious time and have a big impact on people’s wider mental health, both in the short and long term.
For example, if we’re worried about an unplanned pregnancy, whether we might contract an STI, or how to speak to a partner about using condoms, we might end up feeling an overwhelming feeling of stress, which can dominate our mental health.
Receiving high-quality relationships and sex education and having easy access to sexual health services can alleviate a lot of stress.
2. Impact of mental health on sexual health
When we’re struggling with our mental health, it might mean we take more risks with our wellbeing and sexual behaviour. This could be for several reasons – not thinking clearly about safety in the moment or low self-worth and poor impulse control, to name a few. When this happens, it means we’re less likely to use contraception, less likely to be getting STI tests and less likely to be talking about consent, all of which can have a real impact on our sexual and mental health.
If we’re experiencing good mental health and feel supported, we typically feel more confident in our decisions and are more likely to have safe and positive experiences, such as sex that is consensual and brings us pleasure.
3. Self-esteem and body image
Self-esteem and body image play significant roles in sexual health. People with poor mental health may experience low self-esteem and negative body image, which can lead to more risky choices when having sex, having sex with people who don’t value them and for some people, withdrawing from sex and not exploring their sexuality at all.
The truth is that all bodies and all people are different and that should be embraced and celebrated! When we feel good in ourselves, we feel more confident and sexier which leads to more healthy and fulfilling romantic and sexual experiences.
4. Healthy relationships
Our relationships have a huge impact on our mental health, especially romantic/sexual ones. When we are in healthy relationships, we experience trust, safety and happiness – all positive emotions which boost our mental health. In unhealthy relationships those positive emotions switch to more negative ones including fear, neglect and loneliness.
It is important for us to understand what a healthy relationship looks like, so that we can protect this part of our sexual health and in turn engage in things which boost our mental health.
5.Shame and stigma
Experiencing negative emotions such as shame about sex and bodies means we might find ourselves feeling negatively about ourselves, our relationships and the situations we are in. Feeling negative about our sexuality (a core part of human identity) can have big impacts on both our mental health and sexual health. It can make us feel down and make us withdraw, but it can also lead us to be more careless in our adventures – in both cases our mental health and sexual health is at risk.
By removing shame and taboo around different types of bodies, relationships and sex, we are free to be who we are. When this happens, we have safer experiences which in turn boosts the love and joy we feel!
It’s clear to us here at Brook that you cannot separate mental health and sexual health. When we have safe sexual experiences, healthy relationships and can celebrate who we are, our mental health thrives. When our mental health is in a great place and we have the support around us that we need to feel happy and enjoy the world, we have better relationships and safer sexual experiences, leading us to have better sexual health.
If you’re not sure how these two things are interacting for you, check in with yourself and ask, Are You Feeling It?
Home » Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
Home » Five Ways Mental Health and Sexual Health are Linked
Alice Hoddinott, Education and Wellbeing Specialist, Brook
When it comes to sex, do you worry more about catching an STI, or catching feelings? Using condoms is one way to practise safer sex, but if the brain is the body’s biggest erogenous zone, how do we protect it?
For decades Brook has taken a holistic approach to sexual health, recognising that physical and emotional wellbeing are inseparable. But with mental health in decline and STIs on the rise, it’s more important than ever to talk about how the two intersect. That’s why for Sexual Health Week 2024: Are You Feeling It? we will be shining a light on the inextricable links between mental health and sexual health and demonstrating the positive impact of early intervention.
Let’s explore five key ways in which mental health and sexual health are connected.
1. Impact of sexual health on mental health
Whilst there are lots of treatment and support options for people’s sexual health, embarrassment around seeking help and lack of education means it can still be a very anxious time and have a big impact on people’s wider mental health, both in the short and long term.
For example, if we’re worried about an unplanned pregnancy, whether we might contract an STI, or how to speak to a partner about using condoms, we might end up feeling an overwhelming feeling of stress, which can dominate our mental health.
Receiving high-quality relationships and sex education and having easy access to sexual health services can alleviate a lot of stress.
2. Impact of mental health on sexual health
When we’re struggling with our mental health, it might mean we take more risks with our wellbeing and sexual behaviour. This could be for several reasons – not thinking clearly about safety in the moment or low self-worth and poor impulse control, to name a few. When this happens, it means we’re less likely to use contraception, less likely to be getting STI tests and less likely to be talking about consent, all of which can have a real impact on our sexual and mental health.
If we’re experiencing good mental health and feel supported, we typically feel more confident in our decisions and are more likely to have safe and positive experiences, such as sex that is consensual and brings us pleasure.
3. Self-esteem and body image
Self-esteem and body image play significant roles in sexual health. People with poor mental health may experience low self-esteem and negative body image, which can lead to more risky choices when having sex, having sex with people who don’t value them and for some people, withdrawing from sex and not exploring their sexuality at all.
The truth is that all bodies and all people are different and that should be embraced and celebrated! When we feel good in ourselves, we feel more confident and sexier which leads to more healthy and fulfilling romantic and sexual experiences.
4. Healthy relationships
Our relationships have a huge impact on our mental health, especially romantic/sexual ones. When we are in healthy relationships, we experience trust, safety and happiness – all positive emotions which boost our mental health. In unhealthy relationships those positive emotions switch to more negative ones including fear, neglect and loneliness.
It is important for us to understand what a healthy relationship looks like, so that we can protect this part of our sexual health and in turn engage in things which boost our mental health.
5.Shame and stigma
Experiencing negative emotions such as shame about sex and bodies means we might find ourselves feeling negatively about ourselves, our relationships and the situations we are in. Feeling negative about our sexuality (a core part of human identity) can have big impacts on both our mental health and sexual health. It can make us feel down and make us withdraw, but it can also lead us to be more careless in our adventures – in both cases our mental health and sexual health is at risk.
By removing shame and taboo around different types of bodies, relationships and sex, we are free to be who we are. When this happens, we have safer experiences which in turn boosts the love and joy we feel!
It’s clear to us here at Brook that you cannot separate mental health and sexual health. When we have safe sexual experiences, healthy relationships and can celebrate who we are, our mental health thrives. When our mental health is in a great place and we have the support around us that we need to feel happy and enjoy the world, we have better relationships and safer sexual experiences, leading us to have better sexual health.
If you’re not sure how these two things are interacting for you, check in with yourself and ask, Are You Feeling It?
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