Sexual intercourse
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
Sexual intercourse is what humans and animals do to reproduce. People sometimes "have sex" for fun.
Sexual intercourse usually involves a man rhythmically moving his erect penis in and out of a woman's vagina, creating friction. This sexually stimulates the man and woman, often to a point where they can have orgasms and the man can ejaculate. One can also have sex by rubbing the penis or the outside of the vagina with a hand, or by licking. This way, one can have sex without getting pregnant.
Forcing someone to have sex is a crime in many countries (usually called rape).
[edit] Making babies
- Main article: Sexual reproduction
Sexual intercourse is the natural and most common way to create a baby. It involves a man and woman having sex without birth control until the man ejaculates semen into the woman's vagina. The semen, containing sperm, moves towards the Fallopian tubes, and if it finds an ovum on its way, it will try to fertilise it. If this works, the ovum usually implants itself in the endometrium, and the woman becomes pregnant. The fertilised ovum then develops into a human. Some people call this growing human an unborn child or baby, although the use of such words can be political (see Abortion). Medically, it is called a pregnancy until birth (and can more specifically be called a zygote for about two weeks, an embryo for about seven weeks, and then a fetus).
[edit] Sex for fun
People can also have sex for fun and to feel good, not just to make babies. If a man and a woman want to make sure they won't make a baby they may use contraception, which is something that stops a baby being made, for example, a condom.
Because people can have sex for fun, they can have sex in other ways where they can have lots of fun. The way a person has sex depends on their sexuality, which is the feelings that a person has about sex. Some men like to have sex with men. This is called being "gay". Women who have sex with women are called "lesbians". Having sex with someone of the same sex cannot make a baby, but it can pass on certain diseases. Some men and women feel that they would like to have sex with both men and women. This is called being "bisexual". Sometimes people feel like they want to have sex with animals. This is called bestiality. Some people also feel like they want to have sex with children - this is called pedophilia. Many people consider this morally wrong and it is against the law in most parts of the world.
[edit] Sex as power
Sometimes one person uses sex to control another person. By doing this, sometimes people make themselves feel powerful. Also they might use sex to make someone feel guilty, or to make someone do something he or she might not want to do. People sometimes control each other with sex, because some people will do things they don't really want to do just to get to have sex. This is called "Sexual Politics". Controlling someone with sex is usually considered wrong and dirty.
