Human sexual behavior

The word sex was first used in English in 1382 when translating the Latin Bible into English. In this famous translation by John Wycliffe , the text of Genesis 6:19 , which deals with Noah's Ark , contained the phrase “The maal sex and femaal” . Here the word "sex" was used in the meaning of " gender ", "appearance", "race". Until the end of the eighteenth century, the word sex in English was used in the meaning of a separate group, including a sect , religious group, party, caste , etc. Only in the eighteenth century did the word narrow down to the process of sexual reproduction. At the beginning of the 19th century, the word “ sexuality ” appears, which includes not only physical, but also emotional manifestations ^[6] .

In English, the first use of the word “sex” in the meaning of coitus was recorded in 1929 ^[7] .

The German sexologist Erwin Heberle, when describing the concept of “sexual behavior”, identifies three levels of his understanding, which succeeded each other over time ^[6] .

1. Sexual behavior refers to actions that can lead to the conception of offspring. This is the oldest and narrowest definition of this concept, and it is more suitable for the animal world, and not for humans.
2. Sexual behavior is understood as any sexual reaction of the body, including homosexual behavior , stimulation of one's own genital organs and contacts with other species (interspecific sexual contacts in animals and bestiality in humans).
3. Under the sexual behavior refers to all actions and reactions associated with the satisfaction of sexual desire , including erotic fantasies, dances, wrestling, obtaining sexual satisfaction from violence ( sadism , masochism ) and so on.

Human sexual behavior performs three different functions:

• reproductive
• hedonic (enjoyment),
• communicative ^{[3] [4]} .

Depending on the individual’s specific relationship with sex, his sexual behavior can be aimed at achieving the following goals:

• relaxation and relaxation of sexual tension ,
• procreation (procreation), while erotic considerations play an insignificant role;
• recreation and sensual pleasure , when the main importance is attached to eroticism ;
• knowledge and satisfaction of curiosity;
• communication
• sexual assertion;
• compensation ;
• maintaining a certain ritual;
• achievement of non-sexual goals ^{[3] [4] [5] [8]} .

Due to the fact that sexual attraction is a very powerful motivator of human behavior, it is often used by special services and criminal communities for the following purposes ^[9] :

• receiving the information;
• control over people (selected individuals);
• a side effect on the behavior and thoughts of individuals through the assigned “pleasure specialist” ^[9] ;
• obtaining compromising material for the purpose of subsequent blackmail;
• destruction of the psyche of subjects (by calling impotence, contracting a venereal disease, accustoming the selected object to new forms of sexual activity ( BDSM , fisting ), etc.) ^[9] ;
• further development of drug addiction (in order to more effectively manipulate) ^[10]

Sexual norm and sexual deviation

There are many classifications of human sexual behavior. The traditional division into “ sexual norm ” and “ sexual deviations ” is accepted in religions, laws, and psychiatry. In this case, there is a change in sexual norms over time. So, the same sexual practices in some historical periods can be considered acceptable, and in others - be attributed to sexual deviations or even prosecuted by law. This means that not every sexual behavior that is considered legal and is considered a medical norm is morally acceptable in a particular society. As well as not every sexual behavior considered to be sinful, is prosecuted by law, and not every criminally prosecuted sexual practice is a sexual deviation ^[11] .

The main groups of sexual deviations (paraphilia disorders) are described in the International Classification of Diseases ( ICD-10 ) in the group of diagnoses F65 ( Class V - Mental and behavioral disorders - Personality and adult behavior disorders - Sexual preference disorders).

Types of Sexual Behavior

Erwin Heberle identifies four types of sexual behavior in humans: sexual self-satisfaction ; heterosexual behavior ; homosexual behavior and sexual contact with animals . All these forms are not mutually exclusive, and one and the same person can practice several types of sexual behavior at the same time or practice different forms at different periods of his life. However, heterosexual behavior is the most common type of sexual behavior in society ^[11] . Within each type of sexual behavior , a person’s sexual preferences may vary.

Human sexual behavior can also be situational . Situational in psychology is called behavior, due to the specific conditions in which the individual is ^[12] . In particular, situational homosexual behavior can be observed in conditions of forced sexual segregation (for example, in prisons or closed military schools), when same-sex relationships serve as a temporary replacement for heterosexual relationships, or in cases of prostitution . Forced heterosexual behavior can be observed in homosexual people who are heterosexually married “for cover” ^{[8] [13]} .

One of the possible classifications of various forms of sexual relations was proposed by the Russian sexologist G. S. Vasilchenko ^[14] . He divides the forms of sexual life into extragenital and genital .

Extragenital forms of sexual activity

The first among extragenital forms of sexual life is platonic love , which is a close ( love ) relationship between two people, not accompanied by sex in the narrow sense of the word. Sexual life can be limited to this form due to the impossibility of intimate relationships in a couple due to the age of the partners or their state of health , or in the absence of mutual desire of the partners for genital contacts. However, in most cases, this form is transitional, loving relationships entail other types of sexual activity.

In many cases, dance movements involve close contact between partners and play an important role in the process of getting to know each other. The eroticism of many types of dance (for example, tango ) is undeniable. This form is also transitional.

Name of this form ^{[ what? ]} comes from the Japanese name of professional artists who entertain their clients (guests) with dance, singing, tea ceremony, conversation. A geisha is the embodiment of femininity, and, contrary to popular belief, is not a prostitute . Her professional duties do not include sexual services to her clients: if a geisha is given to someone, then this happens solely by her will. The essence of this form of sexual life is spiritual, not bodily communication.

Genital forms of sexual activity

Surrogate and replacement forms of sexual activity

Pollution is a natural, involuntary, most often occurring in a dream (often accompanied by pleasant dreams) eruption of seminal fluid in young men and men. May occur with prolonged sexual abstinence. Masturbation is a form of an individual's satisfaction with sex drive by stimulating his own erogenous zones or partner's erogenous zones. Masturbation is mainly associated with irritation of the so-called unconditional erogenous zones , which include the genitals , but other erogenous zones ( anus , mammary glands ) can also be stimulated. Finger is a way to achieve sexual arousal of a woman and her sexual stimulation by exposing the external genital organs, clitoris , vagina , or anus of a woman (man) with a finger. Finger is performed by the individual himself or a hetero-homosexual partner, representing one of the types of masturbation that does not include stimulation by an object other than the finger, and male masturbation. Petting - getting an orgasm by excitation of various erogenous zones ( kisses , hugs, stroking, joint friction of the genitals , etc.), with the exception of sexual intercourse . Petting can be superficial and deep.

Sexual intercourse

The main form of sexual activity in most people is sexual intercourse (coitus), which means the introduction of a man’s penis into the woman’s vagina . By duration, coitus is divided into fast and continued, by degree of completion - into completed, prematurely completed, incomplete and interrupted. There are many varieties of positions and situations in which sexual intercourse can be performed.

Replacing coitus forms

When the implementation of natural sexual intercourse is undesirable or impossible, or in addition to it, substitutive forms of coitus can be used: vestibular coitus (friction of the penis on the external genital organs of a woman without penetrating the vagina), inter-femoral coitus (vikharita), narvasadata (insertion of the penis between mammary glands).

Also, anal sex can be attributed to such forms of sexual intercourse, in which the penis is inserted into the anal opening of a partner (of the opposite or the same sex).

Oral-genital contacts

With oral-genital contacts, sexual arousal and satisfaction is achieved by caressing the partner's genitals with the mouth or tongue . Oral-genital contacts can both complement other forms of sexual life, and can be the only form of sexual relations between partners. There are several types of oral-genital contacts:

• Cunnilingus is a woman's sexual arousal by acting on the clitoris and vulva with her lips, tongue, or teeth.
• Fellatio (blowjob) - impact on the penis with the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat.
• Anilingus - stimulation of the anal area with the tongue or lips.
• Irrumation - performing active movements of the penis into the oral cavity and throat of a partner.
• Teabagging - placing a scrotum by a man in the partner's oral cavity.

Sexual activities with animals

The pathological attraction of humans, aimed at animals , obtaining sexual satisfaction from sexual acts with animals, is called bestiality. The objects to which sex drive is directed in such situations are usually domestic animals : goats , sheep , horses , dogs , etc. A person in zoosexual contacts can act both as an active and as a passive partner.

Studies show that sexual contact with animals in modern society is quite common, and female bestiality predominates, mainly in the form of the influence of the tongue of an animal (dog or cat) on the genitals ^[15] .

The first studies of the art of carnal love with descriptions of sexual positions and techniques appeared, apparently, in ancient India. In the Middle Ages there was already a number of methodological manuals, codes of rules and instructions ( sutras - Sanskrit सूत्र , “thread”), which are dedicated to the Hindu god Kama and kama ( Sanskrit काम kāma ^IAST ) - one of the four purusharts , the goals of human life. At the turn of the XIX and XX centuries, several of these scrolls were brought to England for translation and storage. The most famous is the Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana, and the Ananga Ranka (Peach Branches) is somewhat less known. These treatises say that the described techniques are intended to complete the manifestation of love between a man and a woman through their bodily intimacy.

In the second half of the 20th century, after the Sexual Revolution , a number of popular books on the technique of sex were published.

In the literature, the sexual complex is understood as having a negative emotional connotation of the personality (feelings of dissatisfaction, fear, sin) associated with sexual relations, which have a significant and sometimes decisive influence on both sexual life and behavior in general ^[15] .

There are complexes inherent in men ( macho complex, Oedipus complex , etc.), women ( Messalina complex, Electra complex , etc.) and both sexes ( inferiority complex, panic complex of closing doors and others). Sexual complexes are a kind of psychological problems that are not related to diseases . Their correction is carried out using methods of psychotherapy .

Scientific literature

• Michel Foucault . Sex // Use of pleasure. The story of sexuality. T. 2. St. Petersburg. : Academic project, 2004. - p. 57-98.
• De Libera Allen . Sex and leisure // Medieval thinking. - M .: Praxis, 2004 .-- p. 134-206.
• Kelly G. Fundamentals of Modern Sexology: A Textbook for High Schools. / Per. from English SPb. : Peter. - 2000 .-- 896 p.
• Kon I. S. Sexology: Textbook. M .: Academia. - 2004 .-- 382 p.
• Krishtal V.V., Grigoryan S.R. Sexology: Textbook. M .: PerSe. - 2002. - 878 p.
• W. Masters, W. Johnson, R. Well. The basics of sexology. - M .: Mir, 1998 .-- x + 692 s., Ill. - ISBN 5-03-003223-1 .

Popular literature

• Ruth K. Westheimer. Sex for Dummies = Sex For Dummies. - 2nd ed .. - M .: " Dialectics ", 2007. - S. 512. - ISBN 0-7645-5302-X .
• Kate M. Wox. Relationships for Dummies = Relationships For Dummies. - M .: " Dialectics ", 2005. - S. 304. - ISBN 0-7645-5384-4 .
• Anna Ruban. 236 reasons not to enjoy (unopened) . Telegraph "Around the World" (09/04/2007).
• Mary Roach. Sex for science. Science for sex. - M. , 2011 .-- S. 320. - ISBN 978-5-91671-082-3 .