Editing Sexual attraction (section)

==Social and biological factors==
[[Human sexuality]] has many aspects. In [[biology]], sexuality describes the reproductive mechanism and the basic biological drive that exists in all sexually reproducing species and can encompass [[sexual intercourse]] and sexual contact in all its forms. There are also emotional and physical aspects of sexuality. These relate to the bond between individuals, which may be expressed through profound feelings or emotions. [[Sociology|Sociologically]], it can cover the [[Culture|cultural]], [[Politics|political]], and [[Law|legal]] aspects; [[philosophy|philosophically]], it can span the [[morality|moral]], [[ethics|ethical]], [[theology|theological]], [[spirituality|spiritual]], and [[religion|religious]] aspects.

Which aspects of a person's sexuality attract another is influenced by cultural factors; it has varied over time, as well as personal factors. Influencing factors may be determined more locally among sub-cultures, across [[sexual field]]s, or simply by the preferences of the [[individual]]. These preferences come about as a result of a complex variety of [[Genetics|genetic]], [[psychological]], and cultural factors.

A person's [[physical appearance]] has a critical impact on their sexual attractiveness. This involves the impact one's appearance has on the [[sense]]s, especially in the beginning of a relationship, among them:

* [[Visual perception]] (the symmetry of [[Facial symmetry|the face]], [[physical attractiveness]], [[Human skin|health]], and how they act or move, for example, while dancing);
* [[Hearing (sense)|Audition]] (how the other's [[human voice|voice]] and movements [[sound]]);
* [[Olfaction]] (how the other smells, naturally or artificially; the wrong smell may be repellent);
* [[Somatosensory system]] (for example touch and temperature).

As with other animals, [[pheromone]]s may have an impact, though less significantly in the case of humans. Theoretically, the "wrong" pheromone may cause someone to be disliked, even when they would otherwise appear attractive. Frequently, a pleasant-smelling [[perfume]] is used to encourage the other person to more deeply inhale the [[air]] surrounding its wearer,{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}} increasing the [[probability]] that the individual's pheromones will be inhaled. The importance of pheromones in human relationships is probably limited and is widely disputed,{{unreliable source?|date=December 2012}}<ref name="disputed">{{cite web |last=Adams |first=Cecil |date=1987-01-30 |title=Will pheromones make you irresistible to the opposite sex? |url=http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_206.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821153502/http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_206.html |archive-date=2008-08-21 |access-date=November 30, 2006 |work=The Straight Dope}}</ref> although it appears to have some scientific basis.<ref>{{cite web |last=Graham |first=Sarah |date=August 29, 2001 |title=First Evidence of a Human Response to Pheromones |url=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0007F9B4-B6D4-1C60-B882809EC588ED9F&sc=I100322 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309134759/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/first-evidence-of-a-human/ |archive-date=Mar 9, 2014 |access-date=November 30, 2006 |work=ScientificAmerican}}</ref>

Some people exhibit high levels of [[sexual fetishism]] and are [[sexually stimulated]] by other stimuli not normally associated with [[sexual arousal]]. The degree to which such fetishism exists or has existed in different cultures is controversial.

Pheromones have been determined to play [[Human sex pheromones|a role in sexual attraction]] between people. They influence gonadal hormone secretion, for example, follicle maturation in the ovaries in females and testosterone and sperm production in males.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://evolution.anthro.univie.ac.at/institutes/urbanethology/resources/articles/articles/publications/226-2005-humanPheromones-sexAttraction.pdf |title=Human pheromones and sexual attraction |journal=European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology |volume=118 |issue=2 |pages=135–142 |access-date=2018-09-19 |doi=10.1016/j.ejogrb.2004.08.010 |pmid=15653193 |year=2005 |last1=Grammer |first1=Karl |last2=Fink |first2=Bernhard |last3=Neave |first3=Nick |archive-date=2019-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726230615/http://evolution.anthro.univie.ac.at/institutes/urbanethology/resources/articles/articles/publications/226-2005-humanPheromones-sexAttraction.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>