Sexual Motivation

Definition

Sexual motivation refers to the natural instinct and desire to engage in sexual activities for pleasure and/or reproduction.

Analogy

Consider sexual motivation as being similar to playing your favorite video game. You're driven by both enjoyment (pleasure) and achievement (reproduction or 'winning' in this case).

Related terms

Libido: The overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Like how much you want to play that video game.

Sexual Orientation: The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes. Like preferring different genres or types of games.

Sexual Response Cycle: The sequence of physical and emotional changes that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused and participates in sexually stimulating activities. Similar to how getting into 'gamer mode' involves certain steps - setting up, getting comfortable, focusing, and then playing.