Sex, gender and sexual identity

Madame TEUGNO Vanessa Francine, Clinical Psychologist and presently working at the Elisabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Yaoundé as a Psycho-Social worker expresses herself on Sexual identity.

Is sexual identity a result of genetic or social aspects?

Sexual identity is defined as a romantic attraction or sexual attraction which an individual feels towards another and most often it is someone of the opposite sex. It can equally be referred to an identity of sexual orientation which corresponds to an identification and most specifically a sexual orientation.

Talking about sexual identity as a result of a genetic or social aspect, I will say this subject is the talk of the day in recent times and that is why a lot of research on this topic is being carried out. The research indicates different possible causes; which in some cases are contradictory. Consequently, scientist have put a hypothesis of a combination of genetic factors, harmony and social aspects that determine the sexual orientation of an individual. Biological theories are the most popular instruments used to explain the causes of sexual orientation and biological factors can involve a complex interaction of genetic factors and the external environment.

What is the cause of assuming our sexual identity?

Many adolescents doubt their capacity of assuming their gender. There are boys who instead chose to wear cloths which are very tight fitting on their bodies like jeans (slim). Girls who reduce their forms of wearing large dresses….. This < indifferenciation > with the basis to camouflage of his/her biological sex has been known for a very long time: Adolescents who are confused in their relationship with others by the construction works of physical or psychic, and is also confused in the sexual identity.

To assume your sexual identity is like affirming the confidence in yourself to finally express our emotions and testify of who we are in reality.

Is it a reversible situation? If no, what is next step to take?

To answer the question of if it is reversible, I will give a resume by an advice to conclude that we should accept ourselves the way we are is the only prove of our existence and not to appreciate it as a value is a prove that we do not exist.