Sexual capital: an extension of Grossman's concept of health capital.

This essay extends Grossman's concept of health capital to the domain of sexual behavior. Two components of "sexual capital" are discussed, both pertaining to health. One is the person's assets that are effective in preventing contraction of sexually transmitted infections, such as habits in selecting sex partners and the social networks from which those partners are selected, and sexual practices including use of condoms. A second is the person's assets useful in achieving sexual intimacy, an element in positive health. Like other forms of human capital, these embedded assets are acquired through strategic choice and experience as well as inheritance.