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This is the version from 17 Aug 05, 8:43 PM. The full history of this entry will show any more recent versions.
ICcode for "Sexual intercourse"

[b]Sexual intercourse[/b] is the act of inserting the [about=erection]erect[/about] [about=penis]penis[/about] of the male into the [about=vagina]vagina[/about] of the female for reproduction and for sexual enjoyment.


[heading]The act

 is one popular position for sexual intercourse]]
 is a good position for [about=Kiss]kissing[/about], caressing, and embracing of the paramour]]
Sexual intercourse is usually preceded by [about=foreplay]foreplay[/about] which leads to [about=sexual arousal]sexual arousal[/about] of the partners, resulting in erection of the [about=penis]penis[/about] and natural lubrication of the [about=vagina]vagina[/about]. The erect penis is inserted into the vagina and one or both of the partners move back and forth to stimulate themselves and each other usually to the point of ejaculation and [about=orgasm]orgasm[/about]. 


[b]Positions[/b]

"Main article: [about=List of sex positions]List of sex positions[/about]"

Sexual intercourse may be performed in a wide [about=List of sex positions]variety of positions[/about], the most common ones being:

[item]The woman lying on her back, the man on top and facing her ("[about=missionary position]missionary position[/about]")

[item]The woman on hands and knees, the man kneeling behind her ("[about=Doggy]doggy style[/about]" or in Latin "coitus more ferarum" "sex in the manner of beasts")

[item]The man on his back or sitting, the woman kneeling or squatting on top (slang "[about=cowgirl]cowgirl[/about]" if the woman faces the man or "[about=reverse cowgirl sex position]reverse cowgirl[/about] if the woman faces away from him)

[item]Both partners lying on their sides, the man entering from the front ("side-by-side position")

[item]Both partners lying on their sides, the man entering from behind ("[about=Spoons]spooning[/about]")


[heading]Problems of intercourse 

Many males suffer from erectile dysfunction, or [about=impotence]impotence[/about], at least occasionally.  Some men also have dysfunction with orgasm in intercourse, called [about=anorgasmia]anorgasmia[/about].  Anorgasmia is much more common in women, however, and usually needs attention from both partners over a long time span to solve. Many women, especially younger women and women with relatively little sexual experience, experience difficulty achieving [about=orgasm]orgasm[/about] or may be unable to achieve orgasm. [about=Vaginismus]Vaginismus[/about] is involuntary tensing of the pelvic floor musculature, making coitus distressing or impossible. [about=Dyspareunia]Dyspareunia[/about] is painful or uncomfortable intercourse; it can be due to a variety of reasons.


[heading]Sexually transmitted diseases 

"Main article: [about=sexually transmitted disease]sexually transmitted disease[/about]s"

Sexual intercourse, like other sexual activities that involve the possibility of transfer of body fluids, is also a means of propagating [about=sexually transmitted disease]sexually transmitted disease[/about]s. Health care professionals suggest that [about=condom]condom[/about]s should be used to lessen the risk of contracting STDs, but they should by no means be considered an absolute safeguard. The best suggestion is to avoid sexual intercourse with anyone known to have a sexually transmissible disease, and, indeed, with anyone whose disease-negative status is in doubt.


[heading]Morality and legality

Various laws, moral rules and [about=taboo]taboo[/about]s surround sexual intercourse. 

Unlike some other sexual activities, sexual intercourse itself has rarely been made [about=taboo]taboo[/about] on religious grounds or by government authorities. It is believed that all of the cultures that prohibited sexual intercourse entirely no longer exist, save the Shakers, a sect of Christianity which has very few adherents. Within some ideologies, coitus has been considered the only "acceptable" sexual activity. Relatively strict designations of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" sexual intercourse have been almost universal in human societies. These have included prohibitions against specific [about=List of sex positions]positions[/about], against intercourse among partners who are not married (this is called fornication) or are married, but not to each other (called adultery), against sexual intercourse with a close relative (called incest), and against intercourse during a woman&rsquo;s menstrual period. 

Most countries have [about=age of consent]age of consent[/about] laws specifying the minimum legal age for engaging in sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse with a person against their will, or without their [about=informed consent]informed legal consent[/about], is called [about=rape]rape[/about] and is considered a serious crime in most cultures.


[heading]Miscellaneous

The English-language profanity "fuck" literally means "copulate" but is also used in several other senses.

There is an urban legend that dolphins, bonobos, and humans are the only animals that have sex for pleasure; in actual fact, what distinguishes these three species from other animals is that they also have heterosexual sex when the female is not at a point in her gestation cycle suitable for successful impregnation http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/pleasure.htm, also, at least in the case of humans and bonobos, sexual intercourse can be engaged in for many reasons other than reproduction or other biological drive. 



[heading]See also


[item][about=Anal sex]Anal sex[/about]

[item][about=List of sex positions]List of sex positions[/about]

[item][about=Oral sex]Oral sex[/about]

[item][about=Pornography]Pornography[/about]

[item][about=Prostitution]Prostitution[/about]


[heading]External links


[item][url=http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~taflinge/biosex2.html]Biology of sexual intercourse[/url],

[item][url=http://www.nvsh.nl/Website_Engels/Texts/Sexual_Information/Basics/Skills_1.htm]Dutch Society for Sexual Reform[/url],

[item][url=http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section7/index.html]UK legal guidance for prosecutors concerning sexual acts[/url],

[item][url=http://www.abouthealth.com/parent_topic_dialogue.cfm?Parent_Excerpt_ID=23&Topic_Title=3]Resources for parents to talk about sexual intercourse with their children[/url],

[item][url=http://www.ppacca.org/site/pp.asp?c=kuJYJeO4F&b=139496]Planned Parenthood information on sexual intercourse[/url],

[item][url=http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/003157.cfm]Medical Resources related to sexual intercourse[/url],

[item][url=http://tidepool.st.usm.edu/crswr/103animalreproduction.html]Introduction to Animal Reproduction[/url]




(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the [url=http://www.londonfetishscene.com/wipi/index.php/Sexual_intercourse]Sexual intercourse[/url] article in Wipipedia.)
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