Abstract

This chapter offers five recommendations to help guide psychologists studying sexual health. Sexual health occurs, and must be understood, across a wide variety of bodies, relationships, and health contexts. Five issues relevant to sexual health research are discussed: (1) the role of gender socialization, (2) body image, (3) non-partnered sexuality, (4) non-penetrative sexual behaviors, and (5) including data from participants that are not “sexually active.” Health psychologists are encouraged to assess sexual health across these domains, with close attention to how social expectations shape their own research assumptions, as well as those they study.