Sensual Vs. Sexual
Do you know the difference?
When we talk about sex, we often bring up the idea of sensuality. But do people really know what it means — and that there’s actually a difference between being sensual and being sexual?
Not necessarily, according to Dr. Shannon Chavez, licensed psychologist and K-Y’s sex therapist, who says we generally confuse the two because of messages we get from the media that use these terms interchangeably, or describe sensuality as a light version of sexuality. To get some clarity on this, I interviewed Chavez about the differences between sensuality and sexuality — and why both are an important part of our sex lives.
“The main difference is that sensual can be a form of pleasure without being connected to a sexual turn-on or erotic state.”
How would you define sexual and sensual? What would you say are the differences between the two?
Sexual refers to what we do sexually including our behavior, thoughts, and feelings regarding sex. It involves our erotic nature and expression of sexuality — nudity, stimulation of the genitals, and sexual responsiveness including excitement, arousal, and orgasm. Sensual refers to engaging the senses — sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch as a way to…
