術語“性行為（sexual behavior）”可以指表達個人性別角色的所有舉止和反應。

這是一個綜合的、不十分特定的定義，然而卻是寬泛而自發運用的定義。這個定義只不過給人第一個印象，即人是“有性別的”生物，也就是說人是作為女人或男人的生命體。觀察者依照個體的行為會立即（通常無意中）注意到這個個體的女性氣質或男性氣概的程度，然後對這個女性或這個男性做出符合性別特徵或不太符合性別特徵的界定。反過來，這個個體從能夠扮演角色的能力或不能夠扮演角色的能力做出自我最明智的判斷，並且認同被社會所指派的性別角色。簡而言之，個人的性別角色行為塑造著她或他的每一種人際相互作用關係，其中包括與他人的任何一種性欲行為（erotic behavior）的相互作用關係。

這種最基本意義的性行為，即扮演女性角色或男性角色的性行為是早於任何其它形式的性行為的習得行為。當新生兒誕生之時被命名為男孩或女孩的名字的時候，當他/她被穿上粉紅色或藍色嬰兒裝的時候，當他/她以性別專一性的方式對待和交談的時候，這種學習性別角色的過程就開始了。正在成長中的孩子和青少年會被人期待著展示自己“正確的”女性或男性徵象，進而，這種性別徵象會影響隨後所要獲得的其它性行為形式。這也正是我們以下所要討論的問題。

Introduction - What is sexual behavior?

Current Meanings of the Term 1: Gender Role Behavior

The term "sexual behavior" can refer to all actions and responses that express a person’s gender role.
This is a general, not very specific, but widely and spontaneously applied definition. It simply registers the first impression a person makes as a “sexual” being, i.e. as a female or male. Observers immediately notice, often unconsciously, the degree of femininity or masculinity in an individual’s behavior and then define it as appropriate or less appropriate to the female or male sex. The individual, in turn, derives the deepest sense of self from the ability or inability to play and identify with the assigned gender role. In short, a person’s gender role behavior shapes her or his every social interaction, including any erotic interaction with others.
Sexual behavior in this most basic sense, i.e. playing the gender role as female or male, is learned before any other form of sexual behavior. The learning process begins immediately at birth when the newborn is given a female or male first name, is dressed in pink or blue baby clothes, and is handled and talked to in gender-specific ways. The growing child and adolescent is then expected to display the “right” signs of femininity or masculinity, and this, in turn, influences the other forms of sexual behavior acquired later and discussed below.