Sexual Well-Being Among College Students: A Qualitative Study

The current study is a community-based research project identifying ways to better define and support sexual well-being of college students on campus. The data explore how students self-define their own sexual well-being, how it relates to access of the institution’s health and counseling services, as well as how it relates to physiological, emotional, relational, and social factors. From in-depth individual interviews, the study compares individual students’ varying perspectives of their own sexual well-being situated within the campus community. Results from thematic analysis show that definitions of sexual well-being are multifaceted—ranging from sex positive, behavioral, mental and emotional, social identity-related, relational, and related to campus resources. Our findings can be used to inform sexual health education and services offered to college students.