| Activating effects of hormones | Effects of sex hormones in adulthood, resulting in the activation of behaviors, especially sexual behaviors and aggressive behaviors.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Anal intercourse | Insertion of the penis into the partner's rectum.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Anaphrodisiac (an-ah-froh-DIZ-ih-ak) | A substance that decreases sexual desire.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Anilingus (ay-nih-LING-us) | Mouth stimulation of the partner's anus.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Aphrodisiac (ah-froh-DIZ-ih-ak) | A substance that increases sexual desire.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Autoeroticism | Sexual self-stimulation; for example, masturbation.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Clitoral orgasm | Freud's term for orgasm in the female resulting from stimulation of the clitoris.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Coitus | Sexual intercourse; insertion of the penis into the vagina.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Cunnilingus (cun-ih-LING-us) | Mouth stimulation of the female genitals.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Dildo | A rubber or plastic cylinder, often shaped like a penis.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Erogenous zones (eh-RAH-jen-us) | Areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to sexual stimulation.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Excitement | The first stage of sexual response, during which erection in the male and vaginal lubrication in the female occur.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Fellatio (feh-LAY-shoh) | Mouth stimulation of the male genitals.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Gräfenberg spot (GRAY-fen-berg) or G-spot | A small region on the front wall of the vagina, emptying into the urethra, and responsible for female ejaculation.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Interfemoral intercourse | A sexual technique used by gay men in which one man moves his penis between the thighs of the other.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Limbic system | A set of structures in the interior of the brain, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and fornix; believed to be important for sexual behavior in both animals and humans.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Masturbation | Stimulation of one's own genitals with the hand or with some object, such as a pillow or vibrator.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Menstrual synchrony | The convergence, over several months, of the dates of onset of menstrual periods among women who are in close contact with each other.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Multiple orgasm | A series of orgasms occurring within a short period of time.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Myotonia (my-oh-TONE-ee-ah) | Muscle contraction.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Organizing effects of hormones | Effects of sex hormones early in development, resulting in a permanent change in the brain or reproductive system.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Orgasm | The second stage of sexual response; an intense sensation that occurs at the peak of sexual arousal and is followed by release of sexual tensions.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Orgasmic platform | A tightening of the entrance to the vagina caused by contractions of the bulbospongiosus muscle (which covers the vestibular bulbs) that occur during the excitement stage of sexual response.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Pheromones (FARE-oh-mones) | Biochemicals secreted outside the body that are important in communication between animals and that may serve as sex attractants.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Refractory period (ree-FRAK-toh-ree) | The period following orgasm during which the male cannot be sexually aroused.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Resolution | The third stage of sexual response, in which the body returns to the unaroused state.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Retrograde ejaculation | A condition in which orgasm in the male is not accompanied by an external ejaculation; instead, the ejaculate goes into the urinary bladder.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Sexual fantasy | Sexual thoughts or images that alter the person's emotions or physiological state.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Sixty-nining | Simultaneous mouth–genital stimulation; also called soixante-neuf.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Tribadism (TRY-bad-izm) | A sexual technique used by lesbians in which one woman lies on top of another and moves rhythmically in order to produce sexual pleasure, particularly clitoral stimulation.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Triphasic model | Kaplan's model of sexual response in which there are three phases: vasocongestion, muscular contractions, and sexual desire.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Vaginal orgasm | Freud's term for orgasm in the female resulting from stimulation of the vagina in heterosexual intercourse; Freud considered vaginal orgasm to be more mature than clitoral orgasm.
|
 |
 |
 |
| Vasocongestion (vay-so-con-JES-tyun) | An accumulation of blood in the blood vessels of a region of the body, especially the genitals; a swelling or erection results.
|