Everything about Intromission totally explained
Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense, is the act in which the
male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals) enters the
female reproductive tract, called
copulation or
coitus in other reference. The two entities may be of opposite
sexes, or they may be
hermaphroditic, as is the case with
snails.
Traditionally, intercourse has been viewed as the natural endpoint of all sexual contact between a man and a woman, and is commonly confined to this definition today. The meaning of the term, however, has been broadened in recent years, and now labels at least three different sex acts. These three types of intercourse are: vaginal intercourse, involving vaginal penetration by the penis;
oral intercourse, involving oral caress of the sex organs (male or female); and
anal intercourse, involving insertion of the male's penis into his partner's anus. while the term
sex, in the context of sexual intimacy, is often understood more widely to include any mutual
genital stimulation.
For most non-human animals, sexual intercourse is used mainly for
reproduction, at the point of
estrus, the most fertile period of time in the female's reproductive cycle, through
insemination and subsequent
internal fertilization. However,
bonobos,
dolphins, and
chimpanzees are known to engage in sexual intercourse even when the female isn't in estrus, and to engage in sex acts with same-sex partners. In most instances, humans have sex primarily for pleasure. This behavior in the above mentioned animals is also presumed to be for pleasure, which in turn strengthens social bonds.
In animals
Many animals which live in the water use
external fertilization, whereas
internal fertilization may have developed from a need to maintain
gametes in a liquid medium in the
Late Ordovician epoch. Internal fertilization with many vertebrates (such as
reptiles, some
fish, and most
birds) occur via
cloacal copulation (see also
hemipenis), while
mammals copulate
vaginally, and many
basal vertebrates reproduce sexually with external fertilization.
However, some
terrestrial arthropods do use external fertilization. For primitive
insects, the male deposits
spermatozoa on the substrate, sometimes stored within a special structure, and
courtship involves inducing the female to take up the sperm package into her genital opening; there's no actual copulation. In groups such as
dragonflies and many
spiders, males extrude sperm into secondary copulatory structures removed from their genital opening, which are then used to inseminate the female (in dragonflies, it's a set of modified
sternites on the second abdominal segment; in spiders, it's the male
pedipalps). In advanced groups of insects, the male uses its
aedeagus, a structure formed from the terminal segments of the abdomen, to deposit sperm directly (though sometimes in a capsule called a "
spermatophore") into the female's reproductive tract.
In humans
Vaginal sexual intercourse, also called
coitus, is the human form of
copulation. While its primary purpose is reproduction, it's often performed exclusively for pleasure and/or as an expression of love and emotional intimacy. Sexual intercourse typically plays a powerful
bonding role; in many societies it's normal for couples to have frequent intercourse while using
birth control, sharing pleasure and strengthening their emotional bond through sex even though they're deliberately avoiding pregnancy.
Sexual intercourse may also be defined as referring to other forms of insertive sexual behavior, such as
oral sex and
anal intercourse. The phrase
to have sex can mean any or all of these behaviors, as well as other
non-penetrative sex acts not considered here.
Coitus may be preceded by
foreplay, which leads to
sexual arousal of the partners, resulting in the
erection of the
penis and natural
lubrication of the
vagina.
To engage in coitus, the erect penis is inserted into the vagina and one or both of the partners move their hips to move the penis backward and forward inside the vagina to cause
friction, typically without fully removing the penis. In this way, they stimulate themselves and each other, often continuing until highly pleasurable
orgasm in either or both partners is achieved. Penetration by the hardened erect penis is also known as
intromission, or by the Latin name
(Latin for "insertion of the penis").
Coitus is the basic reproductive method of humans. During ejaculation, which usually accompanies male orgasm, a series of muscular
contractions delivers
semen containing male
gametes known as sperm cells or
spermatozoa from the penis into the
vagina. (While this is the norm, if one is wearing a
condom, the sperm will almost never reach the egg.)
The subsequent route of the sperm from the vault of the vagina is through the
cervix and into the
uterus, and then into the
fallopian tubes. Millions of sperm are present in each ejaculation, to increase the chances of one fertilizing an egg or
ovum. If the woman
orgasms during or after male ejaculation, the corresponding temporary reduction in the size of the vagina and the contractions of the uterus that occur can help the sperm to reach the fallopian tubes, though female orgasm isn't necessary to achieve pregnancy. When a fertile ovum from the female is present in the fallopian tubes, the male gamete joins with the ovum resulting in
fertilization and the formation of a new
embryo. When a fertilized ovum reaches the uterus, it becomes implanted in the lining of the uterus, known as
endometrium and a
pregnancy begins.
Coitus difficulties
The physical structure of the act of coitus favors penile stimulation over clitoral stimulation. The location of the clitoris then often necessitates manual stimulation in order for the female to achieve
orgasm. In the 1974 Hite Report studies, nearly 70 percent of female respondents admitted to rarely or never achieving orgasm during coitus without simultaneous direct stimulation of the clitoris with the fingers or other implement.
Anorgasmia is the lack of orgasm during otherwise pleasurable stimulation. It is much more common in women than men.
Masturbation is a well supported method for a woman to explore her body and discover what feels good for her. The absence of a partner can remove the sense of performance anxiety and allow the woman to relax and enjoy. Good communication and patience are essential in helping an anorgasmic woman achieve orgasm. Whether a woman considers anorgasmia a problem or not is highly individual, though many women find it very frustrating.
Some males suffer from
erectile dysfunction (ED), or
impotence, at least occasionally. For those whose impotence is caused by medical conditions, prescription drugs such as
Viagra,
Cialis, and
Levitra are available. However, doctors caution against the unnecessary use of these drugs because they're accompanied by serious risks such as increased chance of heart attack. Moreover, using a drug to counteract the symptom—impotence—can mask the underlying problem causing the impotence and doesn't resolve it. A serious medical condition might be aggravated if left untreated.
A more common sexual disorder in males is
premature ejaculation (PE). The U.S.
Food and Drug Administration is examining the drug
dapoxetine to treat premature ejaculation. In clinical trials, those with PE who took dapoxetine experienced intercourse three to four times longer before orgasm than without the drug.
The
American Urological Association (AUA) estimates that premature ejaculation could affect 27 to 34 percent of men in the United States. The AUA also estimates that 10 to 12 percent of men in the United States are affected by erectile dysfunction.
Vaginismus is involuntary tensing of the pelvic floor musculature, making coitus distressing, painful, and sometimes impossible.
Dyspareunia is a medical term signifying painful or uncomfortable intercourse, but doesn't specify the cause.
Mobility impairment:
According to the Canadian Paraplegic Association, in 2007, there were thirty six thousand Canadians living with spinal cord injuries. In the US there are 11 thousands spinal cord injuries every year.
chimpanzees and
dolphins are the only species known to engage in heterosexual behaviors even when the female isn't in
estrus, which is a point in her reproductive cycle suitable for successful impregnation. These species, and others, are also known to engage in homosexual behaviors.
In both humans and bonobos the female undergoes relatively
concealed ovulation, so that both male and female partners commonly don't know whether she's fertile at any given moment. One possible reason for this distinct biological feature may be formation of strong emotional bonds between sexual partners important for social interactions and, in the case of humans, long-term partnership rather than immediate sexual reproduction.
Humans, bonobos and dolphins are all intelligent social animals, whose cooperative behavior proves far more successful than that of any individual alone. In these animals, the use of sex has evolved beyond reproduction apparently to serve additional social functions. Sex reinforces intimate social bonds between individuals to form larger social structures. The resulting cooperation encourages collective tasks that promote the survival of each member of the group.
Alex Comfort and others
posit three potential advantages of intercourse in humans, which are not mutually exclusive: reproductive, relational, and recreational. While the development of
the Pill and other highly effective forms of
contraception in the mid- and late 20th century increased peoples' ability to segregate these three functions, they still overlap a great deal and in complex patterns. For example: A fertile couple may have intercourse while contracepting not only to experience sexual pleasure (recreational), but also as a means of emotional intimacy (relational), thus deepening their bonding, making their relationship more stable and more capable of sustaining children in the future (deferred reproductive). This same couple may emphasize different aspects of intercourse on different occasions, being playful during one episode of intercourse (recreational), experiencing deep emotional connection on another occasion (relational), and later, after discontinuing contraception, seeking to achieve pregnancy (reproductive, or more likely reproductive and relational).
Oral and anal sex
Oral sex consists of all the
sexual activities that involve the use of the
mouth,
tongue, and possibly
throat to stimulate
genitalia. It is sometimes performed to the exclusion of all other forms of sexual activity. Oral sex may include the ingestion or absorption of
semen or
vaginal fluids.
While there are many sexual acts involving the
anus, anal cavity, sphincter valve and/or
rectum, the specific meaning of anal sex is the insertion of a man's
penis into another person's rectum.
Sexual ethics and legality
Unlike some other sexual activities, vaginal intercourse has rarely been made
taboo on
religious grounds or by government authorities, as procreation is inherently essential to the continuation to the species or of any particular genetic line, which is considered to be a positive factor, and indeed, enables most societies to continue in the first place. Many of the cultures that had prohibited sexual intercourse entirely no longer exist; an exception is the
Shakers, a
sect of
Christianity that has four adherents at current . There are, however, many communities within cultures that prohibit their members to engage in any form of sex, especially members of religious orders and the priesthood in the
Roman Catholic Church and priests in
Buddhist monasteries. Within some ideologies, coitus has been considered the only "acceptable" sexual activity. Relatively strict designations of "appropriate" and "inappropriate" sexual intercourse have been in human culture for hundreds of years. These legal or cultural restrictions may include:
Often a community adapts its legal definitions during
case laws for settling disputes. For example, in
2003 the
New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled that same-sex relations don't constitute
sexual intercourse, based on a
1961 definition from
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, in
Blanchflower v. Blanchflower, and thereby an accused spouse in a divorce case was found not guilty of
adultery based on this technicality.
Most countries have
age of consent laws specifying the minimum legal age for engaging in sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse with a person against their will, or without their
informed legal consent, is referred to as
rape, and is considered a serious
crime in many cultures around the world, including those found in
Europe, northern and eastern
Asia, and the
Americas. Sex, regardless of consent, with a person under the age of consent is often considered to be
sexual assault or
statutory rape. The age of consent varies from country to country and often by state or region; commonly, the age of consent is set anywhere between twelve and eighteen years of age, with sixteen years being the most common age the law sets. Sometimes, the age of consent is lowered for people near the same age wishing to participate in intercourse. For example, in Canada, the minimum age of consent for all couples is 14. However, the age of consent can go below 14 on the condition that the couple still are not 2 years of age apart. Religions may also set differing ages for consent, with Islam setting the age at puberty, which can vary from around 10 to 14. There are exceptions in the case of anal sex or people in a position of trust/authority.
Religious views
Religious views on sexual intercourse vary widely between religions, between different sects of the same religion, and even between different members of the same sect.
Further Information
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