Sexual Practices & Identities
42 entries in the Sexual Practices & Identities compendium.
Non-penetrative sexSexual activity usually without penetration, often for safer sex.One-night standA single sexual encounter without expectation of further relations.PansexualityAttraction regardless of gender or across all genders.ParaphiliaA paraphilia is an uncommon, intense, and persistent sexual arousal or attraction to anything not sexual by…Phone sexErotic conversation by telephone, from rotary dials to digital platforms.PolyamoryEthical non-monogamy with love, honesty, and consent.PolyandryPolyandry: a woman with two or more husbands, a rare but globally documented marriage form.PolygynyPolygyny is a form of polygamy with multiple wives.Premarital sexSex before marriage, its history, prevalence, and cultural attitudes.Sacred prostitutionControversial ancient rites of paid intercourse within religious worship.SadomasochismPleasure derived from inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation.Safe sexReducing risk, not eliminating it.Sexual abstinenceThe practice of refraining from sexual activity for various reasons, with historical and cultural dimensions.Sexual arousalPhysiological and psychological responses to sexual stimuli.Sexual ritualSexual rituals span culture, religion, and personal compulsion.Sexual roleplayErotic roleplay for fantasy, foreplay, and overcoming inhibitions.Swinging (sexual practice)Swinging is a form of non-monogamy where couples or singles engage sexually with others recreationally, often…Third genderAn identity recognizing individuals as neither a man nor a woman, found in many cultures worldwide.ThreesomeA sexual interaction between three people where at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both…TransgenderA person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth; an umbrella term that gained…TribadismA lesbian sexual practice involving vulva-to-vulva contact or rubbing the vulva against a partner's body for…UrolagniaUrolagnia: the paraphilia of sexual excitement associated with urine or urination.VirginityA social construct with varying definitions and cultural significance.Sexual intercourseAn intimate activity for reproduction, pleasure, and bonding.Sex positionBody positions used for sexual intercourse and other sexual acts.KissA gesture of lips with diverse cultural meanings worldwide.Taoist sexual practicesTaoist sexual arts aim to conserve life essence through controlled intercourse.Tantric sexRitual sexual practices in Hindu and Buddhist tantra for liberation.Sexual script theorySocially learned guidelines shape sexual behavior and perception.Sex magicSexual activity harnessed for magical and spiritual purposes.Physical intimacyPhysical intimacy conveys feelings through touch and proximity.Oral sexOral sex involves mouth-to-genital stimulation and carries varied cultural views.MasturbationAutoerotic stimulation for sexual pleasure, often to orgasm.Intercrural sexNon-penetrative sex practiced historically and in modern safe-sex contexts.Human sexual activityA broad set of behaviors involving physical intimacy and erotic stimulation.FistingSexual practice involving insertion of hands into rectum or vagina.FellatioOral sex act involving mouth stimulation of the penis.Facial (sexual act)Sexual act involving ejaculation onto a partner's face.CunnilingusOral stimulation of the vulva using tongue and lips.Anal sexSexual activity involving the anus and rectum.ForeplayIntimate acts that build arousal and desire.FrotA non-penetrative sexual practice involving penis-to-penis contact.
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