Human sexual activity

Psychological aspects

Sexual activity can lower blood pressure and overall stress levels, serving to release tension, elevate mood, and create a profound sense of relaxation, particularly in the postcoital period. Biochemically, it triggers the release of oxytocin and endorphins and boosts the immune system. People engage in sex for a multitude of reasons; research on college students identified four general categories: physical attraction, as a means to an end, to increase emotional connection, and to alleviate insecurity. Most individuals participate because of the pleasure derived from sexual arousal, especially if orgasm is achieved, though arousal can also come from foreplay, flirting, fetish activities, or BDSM.

Sexual activity may occur due to desire for a specific person, for physical satisfaction without attraction (as in casual sex), or solely for a partner's pleasure out of obligation, love, sympathy, or pity. Some engage in sex for monetary gain or to obtain an advantage, while others seek conception. Hate sex, occurring between people who strongly dislike each other, is related to the idea that opposition can heighten sexual tension and interest.

Orientations and society

Heterosexuality, the romantic or sexual attraction to the opposite sex, is institutionally privileged in most countries. In some nations, particularly those where religion strongly influences social policy, marriage laws encourage sex only within marriage. Sodomy laws have historically discouraged same-sex sexual practices but can also affect opposite-sex activities.

Laws prohibit sexual abuse, sex with minors, public sexual acts, and prostitution, though enforcement and punishments may differ based on the sexual orientation of participants. Different-sex sexual practices may be monogamous, serially monogamous, polyamorous, abstinent, or autoerotic. Homosexuality involves romantic or sexual attraction to the same sex; research indicates that many gay men and lesbians desire and maintain committed relationships, with survey data showing between 40% and 60% of gay men and between 45% and 80% of lesbians currently in a romantic relationship.

Social aspects and issues

Three potential social aspects of human sexual intercourse—reproductive, relational, and recreational—are not mutually exclusive. The development of highly effective contraception in the mid- and late 20th century increased people's ability to separate these functions, though they still overlap in complex patterns. For example, a fertile couple may use contraception for recreational pleasure and emotional intimacy, deepening their bond and making their relationship more stable for future child-rearing.

Human sexual activity is generally influenced by culturally specific social rules. Sexual ethics, morals, and norms involve issues such as deception, honesty, legality, fidelity, and consent. Some activities, like sodomy or adult–adult incest, are illegal in certain jurisdictions even between consenting adults.

Individuals in relationships may hide polygamous activity from their partner by soliciting consensual sex through personal contacts, online chat rooms, or media advertisements. Swinging, where singles or partners in committed relationships engage in sex with others as a recreational activity, gained popularity during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Prostitution involves performing sexual acts for money or value, while the adult industry also includes phone sex, strip clubs, and pornography.

Legal issues

Laws and social customs prohibiting or affecting sexual activities vary by country and have changed over time. They cover non-consensual sex, sex outside marriage, public sexual activity, and many other areas. Most societies consider forcing someone into sexual acts or engaging in sex without consent a serious crime, termed sexual assault, with rape applying when penetration occurs; legal distinctions vary considerably. What constitutes effective consent differs across cultures and is frequently debated.

Laws regulating the minimum age of consent are often debated, as is adolescent sexual behavior in general. Some societies practice forced marriage, where consent may not be required. Many locales limit or prohibit same-sex sexual activity.

In the West, sex before marriage is not illegal, though social taboos and many religions condemn it. In many Muslim countries—such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kuwait, Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Mauritania, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Yemen—any sexual activity outside marriage is illegal, with penalties including forced marriage, public beating, or stoning, especially for women. In many African and native tribes, sexual activity is viewed as the unification of bodies rather than a married couple's privilege. Studies of American adolescents found that oral sex was viewed as more socially positive and less threatening to personal values than vaginal sex.

Did You Know?

• Sexual activity can be classified by the gender and sexual orientation of participants, as well as by relationship type such as marriage, intimate partners, casual sex partners, or anonymous encounters.
• Human mating strategies are unique relative to other animals due to their relationship with cultural variables like the institution of marriage.
• Autoerotic sexual activity can involve sex toys such as dildos, vibrators, and butt plugs, which may also be used with a partner.