Human sexual activity is the set of behaviours people engage in that typically includes physical intimacy, contact with the genitals or erogenous zones, and erotic stimulation. It ranges from solitary acts such as masturbation to partnered acts such as sexual intercourse and oral sex, and can involve several people. Sexual activity usually produces arousal and physiological changes, and it has social, emotional, behavioural and biological dimensions. Its acceptability and legal status vary widely between cultures and jurisdictions.
Types and classification
Sexual activity can be classified by the number of participants, their genders and sexual orientations, and their relationship, which may be marital, intimate, casual or anonymous. Some practices are considered conventional, while others, such as fetishism or BDSM, are considered alternative. Certain solitary practices, including autoerotic asphyxiation, can be dangerous because no one is present to help in an emergency. Sexual activity is considered consensual only when all participants agree and are old enough to consent. Acts carried out under force or duress are treated as rape or sexual assault.
Mating and arousal
In evolutionary psychology and behavioural ecology, mating strategies describe the behaviours people use to attract, select and keep partners, and these are shaped by cultural factors such as marriage. The physiological response to sexual stimulation is broadly similar for men and women and is commonly described in four phases: excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution. Each phase involves changes in muscle tension, blood flow, heart rate and breathing, and the resolution phase is followed by a return to the resting state.