Sex is, at it’s very core, a physical act. It is desgned for the purpose of the propagation of our species, but sex serves other purposes as well. In humans, sex is impacted by a variety of emotional and psychological issues. Sex can be used as an emotional bonding tool for couples and it can be used simply for pleasure by many people. But sex isn’t just about physical pleasure or procreation and it can be impacted by a variety of things, including mass media coverage and societal pressure.

A person’s self image religious convictions and societal pressure can all impact a person’s sense of their sexual self in both positive and negative ways. Sex has been a controversial subject for centuries, beginning before Roman times when prostitutes were tolerated in order to spare “good” women from the onerous duty of having sex with their husbands.

Women were also punished as being more “sinful” than men, an attitude that continues to this day in countries were women are forbidden to mix with men that are no related to them and are forced to keep themselves covered in order to prevent men from becoming “inflamed” by the site if them.

Sigmund Freud is perhaps the best known psychologist that studied sex and sexual attitudes. It was Freud who coined the term “erogenous zone” and “Oedipus complex,” both concepts that are common today. Many people now view Freud’s research as flawed.

While some believe he was a trailblazer in the field of sexual psychology, others believe that he caused irreparable harm to the field of sexuality research. Other psychologist, besides Freud, have studied the effect of the childhood on sexual attitudes and behaviors and while some have found many of his studies and conclusions to be true, many more have been proven false.. For instance, many current researchers believe that if a child is discovered engaging in sex play and receives punishment for it, the child could become an adult that suffers from sexual dysfunction. Freud believed that such behaviors were irreparable, but many now believe that sexual dysfunction can be much improved through treatment. Thousands of psychologists today make their lives studying the psychology of sex. Many more have built thriving medical practices by treating people with sexual dysfunction and psychological issues related to their sense of sexual self. With a caring therapists, most people can lead a fulfilling sex life.

The psychology of sex is not only influenced by upbringing, but also by societal norms and expectations. Social pressure is very strong and many people feel forced to conform to sexual behavior that is held up as normal in society. Human sexual behavior is controlled by behavioral rules and any straying from these rules are often called “deviant.”

Application of such “abnormal” or “deviant” labels can adversely affect a person’s sex drive and sense of self. Examples of behaviors that have been labels as deviant include dominance play, homosexuality, bisexuality and interracial sexual behavior. Most psychologists no longer believe that these practices are deviant or harmful, but many people in society continue to think poorly of people who engage in these behaviors. People who participate in these behaviors may suffer from low self esteem and a reduced sense of self worth due to society’s harsh judgment against them.

Self-esteem is also an important part of the psychology of sex. Studies have shown that people with low self esteem suffer from an absent sex drive or an increased need to have sex in an attempt to prove their self worth and desirability. Both ends of the spectrum can cause psychological harm. People who feel unattractive and withdraw are often perpetuating a self-fulfilling prophecy. By not engaging in a relationship, they continue to believe that they are too unattractive to be sexually desirable. People who engage in promiscuous behavior will continue to suffer from low self esteem because of a lack of emotionally connected relationships. Psychological treatment may be required if a dysfunction is particularly severe, but both conditions can be successfully treated with psychotherapy.

Religious beliefs can also impact the psychology of sex. Many people in strict religious households were raised in an environment in which sex was looked on as sinful and dirty.

Religious leaders as far back as ST. Thomas Aquinas have written long treatise on the sinfulness of sex. Women were seen as being particularly vulnerable to the temptations of the flesh, and were regarded as more sinful than men. These attitudes persist in many forms today. It is a common stereotype that men who have multiple sexual partners are “studs” while women who practice such behavior are usually categorized as having loose or low morals. Such beliefs have not only impacted the psychology of sex of everyday people, it has also made it increasingly difficult for sex researchers to have access to government funds for research on sexual psychology. Sex education has also suffered from attitudes of sex as bad or harmful.

Jealousy also affects sexual psychology. Jealousy, however, affects men and women in different ways. According to a study by John Edlund of Northern Illinois University, men are more likely to suffer from sexual jealousy in response to actual sexual infidelity. Women were more likely to suffer from sexual jealousy if there was a perceived emotional connection between her mate and another woman.

The study shows a major difference in the way women and men process the sexual experience. For men, sex is primarily a physical act to an innate drive. For women, sex is a part of a process that includes emotional bonding. It has been said that men need to have sex to feel close and women need to feel close in order to have sex.

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