Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence: scaridade psi. Sexuality is defined as a multidimensional experience that involves genital, mental, and bodily components. It is also assumed as a basic condition inherent to the human existence that encourages the search for love, intimacy, sex, and proximity to others.
The main objective of this study is to assess the relationship between cues of sexual desire and sexual attitudes in Portuguese women. This is a cross-sectional study with Portuguese women to whom the protocol was applied. It included an informed consent, a sociodemographic questionnaire, a questionnaire related to intimacy, a scale of sexual attitudes, and the scale of cues of sexual desire.
Sexuality is determined by psychological influences, cultural and social influences, and biological and evolutionary influences [ 2 ]. Sexuality influences physical and mental health, being an important predictor of quality of life and corresponding to a globalizing experience in which, in addition to the genital component, the mental and bodily components are also included [ 3 ]. Sexuality is shaped by individual values, attitudes, behaviour, physical appearance, emotions, personality, empathy, aversions, spiritual beliefs, and the different influences of the social environment [ 4 , 5 ].
The World Health Organization [ 8 ] defines gender as the characteristics of women and men that are socially constructed sex refers to those that are biologically determined. This learned behaviour makes up gender identity and determines gender roles [ 7 ].
Findings from neurosciences, behaviour neuroendocrinology, psychology, and development undermine the gender binary [ 10 ]. At the social level, sexuality is experienced in a context in which women struggle for empowerment and equal rights [ 11 ], thus emerging a new perspective on the purpose of sex, not being only reproductive but also hedonic [ 12 ].
