I received a lot of backlash through text messages in my post “Why do Rapes Happen?” when I mentioned that sex is not a basic need. People said that what I had written was wrong and Sex is indeed a basic human need. They shared links of articles to prove their point. Well! there were articles and a movie about the world ending in 2012 and here we are! I was unable to relate to what they said. So, I decided to deep dive and find out what exactly is the whole debate about.

Firstly, I want to clear the air here… I’m not against the part where they say that sex is good for health and mind. I do agree with people on that and the fact that sex is important. Being sexually active keeps us healthy in many ways. I only disagree about the part where it is termed as a basic need. The reason being the fact that we have been taught that basic needs are things that keeps us alive. We’ve never heard or seen someone die because he/she was unable to have sex.

If we go by Wikipedia, basic need attempts to define the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being, usually in terms of consumption goods. A traditional list of immediate "basic needs" is food (including water), shelter and clothing. Many modern lists emphasize the minimum level of consumption of 'basic needs' of not just food, water, clothing and shelter, but also sanitation, education, and healthcare. Nothing related to sex has been mentioned here.

On the other hand, we have some theories by Abraham Maslow stating that sex is a basic need. The explanation behind this is another bull-crap. According to Maslow, people hold on to a belief of being in control over their needs. And sex involves another person which is a challenge to their individuality, ego and the control of their needs.

Furthermore, he says that a healthy person thinks about sex many times a day. They think even more when their sexual needs are not met. Slowly it becomes a priority over his/her own safety and the person might forget humanity if they go into survival mode. So basically, Abraham Maslow's theory is more like an exaggeration or an imaginary situation. It might happen to some people but it does not makes sex a basic need.

What we have been taught all these years about basic need is the fact that human cannot survive without food, shelter or sanitization for long. Lack of any of these can cause physical/mental illness, shortened life expectancy or even death. A person can be “deprived” of sex and it depends on them how he/she deals with it. However, when a person says that he/she is “needing” sex then that’s more of an addiction. They don't need sex; they need therapy.

There are things that does not kill a human being, yet used to get through the day as if basic need. People use cigarettes, alcohol and even caffeine which is not something that would kill if not consumed. Yet people find the need to consume that. Its quite similar with sex. There’s no need for it yet if you find it your basic need then that’s addiction.

Moreover, I do feel that the word “Sex” is misused here. It is always interpreted to be something that involves another person while it shouldn’t be that way. A person can help satisfy himself/herself release libido even when they don’t have a partner. The ability of masturbation is universal, and it does come under sexual act. Discharge (misinterpreted as sex) and Excretion is also a basic need.

Psychologically speaking, be it a man or a woman, if someone claim that they need another person’s body to fulfill their “needs” then that is a sign of being a Rapist. In fact, “I can’t help it, I have needs” is the most commonly used phrase rapists have used to justify their acts of horror. When a child is born, it's the parent’s responsibility to provide them food, shelter, clothes, vaccinations, healthcare and education. These are the basic things that someone needs to survive. Imagine asking your parents/guardian to provide you Sex. Doesn’t that sound like a rapist?