性(Sexuality)是人的生命有机组成部分。它具有令人敬畏的创造新生命的潜能。它在我们的相互关系中能够培养亲密情感、建立联系纽带和分享快乐。它满足个人与社会的大量需要，并且为获得性快乐和获得所提供的益处，我们重视我们所具有的性器官。但是，一旦它被滥用，它也具有负面作用，诸如包括HIV/AIDS在内的性传播疾病、非意愿怀孕和性强迫或性暴力行为。为了享受性的这些重要好处，那么就要避免出现负面结局，某些负面结局(对个人或社会)可能有着长期的甚或终生的影响；对个人来说，两性之间的健康、负责任的行为举止以及保护自身和他人性健康的社会保障环境条件是必须的。
性健康不可避免地既涉及到身体也涉及到精神的健康。正如身体与精神健康问题可能导致性功能障碍和疾病一样，性功能障碍和疾病也能够导致身体与精神方面的健康问题。性健康并不是指没有疾病或没有功能障碍，也不是恰好局限在生育年龄强调健康的重要性。性健康包括理解和权衡性行为的风险、责任、结果和效应的能力，包括在适当的时候节制性行为的能力。性健康包括没有性辱虐(sexual abuse)和性歧视，它还包括个人将性融入个人生活的能力、从中获得性快乐的能力以及如果做出选择生育后代的能力。

Sexuality is an integral part of human life. It carries the awesome potential to create new life. It can foster intimacy and bonding as well as shared pleasure in our relationships. It fulfills a number of personal and social needs, and we value the sexual part of our being for the pleasures and benefits it affords us. Yet when exercised irresponsibly it can also have negative aspects such as sexually transmitted diseases -- including HIV/AIDS -- unintended pregnancy, and coercive or violent behavior. To enjoy the important benefits of sexuality, while avoiding negative consequences, some of which may have long term or even life time implications, it is necessary for individuals to be sexually healthy, to behave responsibly, and to have a supportive environment -- to protect their own sexual health, as well as that of others.
Sexual health is inextricably bound to both physical and mental health. Just as physical and mental health problems can contribute to sexual dysfunction and diseases, those dysfunctions and diseases can contribute to physical and mental health problems. Sexual health is not limited to the absence of disease or dysfunction, nor is its importance confined to just the reproductive years. It includes the ability to understand and weigh the risks, responsibilities, outcomes and impacts of sexual actions and to practice abstinence when appropriate. It includes freedom from sexual abuse and discrimination and the ability of individuals to integrate their sexuality into their lives, derive pleasure from it, and to reproduce if they so choose.