While your sexuality can be fluid and may change over the course of time, your sexual identity plays an important role in who you are.
Familiarizing yourself with the different concepts and terms that may be associated with sexual identity can better help you and others affirm, ally, and feel empowered in your romantic or sexual interests—no matter how you may choose to identify.
The four components of sexual identity include: biological sex, gender identity, social sex-role, and sexual orientation—all of which may combine and/or conflict to form an individual's unique sexual identity.
Your sexual identity is how you see yourself in relation to who you are attracted to romantically, emotionally, and/or sexually. Sexual identity terms refer to words and phrases used to describe human sexuality and orientation including (but not limited to) gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual.
One study that examined sexual orientations of people from teenage years through early adulthood showed that changes occurred throughout the duration, noting that "Substantial changes were common not only from late adolescence to the early 20s but also from the early 20s to the late 20s, indicating that sexual orientation development continues throughout emerging adulthood."
Shively MG, De Cecco JP. Components of sexual identity. J Homosex. 1977;3(1):41-48. doi:10.1300/J082v03n01_04
Kaestle CE. Sexual orientation trajectories based on sexual attractions, partners, and identity: a longitudinal investigation from adolescence through young adulthood using a U.S. Representative sample. J Sex Res. 2019;56(7):811-826. doi:10.1080/00224499.2019.1577351