RELATIONAL DIMENSION Am I in Relation With Others?"
Relationships are experienced on three levels: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Primary relationships are significant and committed relationships as with one's spouse or a close friend. They may or may not include genital expression. A person engaged to be married could have a primary relationship with his future spouse but abstains from genital expression until marriage. Similarly, consecrated persons are encouraged to have primary relationships but without genital expression. Secondary relationships are enduring and committed relationships that include touch or physical contact like hugs, but no genital contact. Tertiary relationships are distant and temporary attachments and do not involve long term association or commitment. Healthy sexuality assumes that a person maintains healthy relationships at all three levels - primary, secondary and tertiary. It is also necessary that these relationships are mutual i.e. they are on the same level with possibility for give and take on both sides.