Terms starting with A

No entry here matches that. Try the search at the top of the page.

• AbortionContraceptionAbortion is the medical ending of a pregnancy, either with medication or with a procedure carried out by a trained clinician.
• AbstinenceContraceptionAbstinence means choosing not to have sex, or particular kinds of sex, for a period of time, for personal, health, religious or other reasons.
• Active listeningPsychology of intimacyActive listening is a way of listening that shows full attention and understanding, for example by reflecting back what was said and asking open questions.
• AFAB and AMABGender & identityAFAB means assigned female at birth and AMAB means assigned male at birth. They describe the sex recorded at birth without implying anything about a person's gender identity.
• Affirmative consentConsent & boundariesAffirmative consent is the principle that agreement to intimacy must be shown through an active, clear yes, in words or unmistakable actions, rather than assumed from silence or a lack of resistance.
• Aftercare 18+Kink & BDSMThe care partners give each other after kink play, or any intense intimacy, to help everyone come back to a settled physical and emotional state.
• Age of consentConsent & boundariesThe age of consent is the minimum age at which the law considers a person able to agree to sexual activity. It differs between countries, and sometimes between states or provinces.
• AgenderGender & identityDescribes a person who does not have a gender identity, or who experiences their gender as neutral or absent.
• AIDSSTIsAIDS is the most advanced stage of untreated HIV infection, when the immune system is badly damaged and serious infections or cancers can develop.
• AllosexualOrientationsDescribes a person who experiences sexual attraction, used as the counterpart to asexual.
• AllyOrientationsA person who supports and stands up for a group they do not belong to, such as a straight or cisgender person supporting LGBTQ+ people.
• AndrogynyGender & identityA mix of masculine and feminine characteristics, or a presentation that is not clearly either, especially in appearance and style.
• AndrosexualOrientationsDescribes attraction to men or masculinity, without saying anything about the gender of the person who is attracted.
• Antiretroviral therapySTIsAntiretroviral therapy is the combination of medicines used to treat HIV by stopping the virus from multiplying, allowing the immune system to stay healthy.
• Anxious attachmentPsychology of intimacyAnxious attachment is a pattern of relating marked by strong worry about rejection or abandonment and a heightened need for reassurance from partners.
• AroaceOrientationsDescribes a person who is both aromantic and asexual, experiencing little or no romantic or sexual attraction.
• AromanticOrientationsDescribes a person who experiences little or no romantic attraction. Aromantic people may still value close friendships, family and sometimes sexual relationships.
• ArousalBody & healthSexual arousal is the combination of mental excitement and physical changes, such as increased blood flow to the genitals, that happens in response to sexual thoughts or stimulation.
• AsexualOrientationsDescribes a person who experiences little or no sexual attraction to others. Asexual people may still want romance, closeness or relationships.
• Asexual spectrumOrientationsThe range of identities for people who experience sexual attraction rarely, weakly, conditionally or not at all.
• Asymptomatic infectionSTIsAn asymptomatic infection is one that causes no noticeable symptoms; many STIs are asymptomatic for long periods but can still be passed on and cause harm.
• Attachment theoryPsychology of intimacyAttachment theory explains how early bonds with caregivers shape the ways people seek closeness, comfort and security in later relationships.
• Avoidant attachmentPsychology of intimacyAvoidant attachment is a pattern of relating in which a person values independence strongly and tends to pull back when closeness or emotional demands increase.