Reasons For Sexual Activity
People engage in sexual activity for any of a multitude of possible reasons. Although the primary evolutionary purpose of sexual activity is reproduction, most people engage in sexual activity because of the sexual pleasure they derive from the activity, in which the most heightened pleasure is derived through orgasm. Erotic pleasure can also be experienced during foreplay and from flirting, and from fetish or BDSM activities.
Most commonly, people engage in sexual activity with a person to whom they are sexually attracted; but at times, a person may engage in a sexual activity solely for the sexual pleasure of the partner, such as because of an obligation they may have to the partner or because of love, sympathy or pity they may feel for the partner.
Also, a person may engage in sexual activity for purely monetary considerations, or to obtain some advantage from either the partner or the activity. A man and woman may engage in sexual intercourse with the objective of conception. Some people engage in hate sex, which occurs between two people who strongly dislike or annoy each other. It is related to the idea that opposition between two people can heighten sexual tension, attraction and interest.
It has been shown that sexual activity plays a large part in the interaction of social species. Joan Roughgarden, in her book "Evolutions Rainbow: Diversity, gender and sexuality in nature and people" postulates that this applies equally to humans as it does to other social species. She explores the purpose of sexual activity and demonstrates that there are many functions facilitated by such activity including pair bonding, group bonding, dispute resolution and reproduction.
Read more about this topic: Human Sexual Activity
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