Sexual health: a useful public health paradigm or a moral imperative?

The past decade has shown an increasing use of the concept of sexual health. This upsurge is especially noticeable not only in the field of health education and promotion but also in academic sources. The concept is typically used self-evidently and with widely diverse connotations. The definition and understanding of sexual health are still evolving and pose various critical questions. For instance, the term sexual health may imply various risks, including a one-sided health perspective on sexuality and a new excuse to control sexual behavior. The recent discourse on sexual health is paralleled by an upsurge in the debate on sexual rights. Both concepts serve different functions but are intricately interwoven. In this introductory paper, we introduce this Special Section and hope to further the debate and scientific exploration of sexual health. KEY WORDS: sexual health; sexual rights, social hygiene.