Kinds of sex
SexSexAll acts that can sexually arouse you. Sex is more than sexual intercourse.…Read more often starts with caressing, cuddling, kissing and stimulating each other’s erogenous zonesErogenous zonesSexually sensitive spots on the body. If these spots are stimulated, you can…Read more. When both partners are aroused, they may want to have more sex.
Example 1: a woman caressing a man.
Example 2: a man and a woman cuddling.
Example 3: a man and a woman kissing.
Example 4: a man licking a woman’s breast.
Vaginal sexVaginal sexSex with penetration of the vagina.Read more
Vaginal sexSexThe biological fact of being a woman (girl) or a man (boy). Sometimes,…Read more (vaginal sexual intercourseSexual intercourseSexual act in which the penis penetrates (enters) the vagina or anus.Read more) is sex with penetrationPenetrationPutting a part of your body (penis, finger, etc.) or an object into…Read more of the woman’s vaginaVaginaPart of the inner sexual organs of a woman. The vagina connects the…Read more with a hard penisPenisMale sexual organ. The penis is used for sex (ejaculation) or to urinate.Read more.
You can have vaginal sex in different ways:
- You can vary the position: lying down, sitting, standing or crouching, the man on top, the woman on top or the man behind the woman.
- You can vary the speed, rhythm and intensity of the movements.
You can also have vaginal sex using objects, like a dildoDildoA sex toy, usually shaped like an erect penis. You can use a…Read more or a vibratorVibratorA sex toy, an electronic device that vibrates. It is used to stimulate…Read more (sex toys).
Man and woman having sexual intercourse.
A woman can get pregnant through vaginal sex if she and her partnerPartnerPerson you are in a relationship with.Read more do not use a condom or another method of contraception.
You can infect your partner with an STI through vaginal sex. A condom reduces the risk of getting an STI.
Condom
Oral sexOral sexStimulating someone else's sexual organs with your mouth or tongue. Oral sex for…Read more
Oral sex means stimulating the erogenous zones on your partner’s body with your mouth, lips and tongue.
- Oral sex with a woman: the partner licks, sucks or gently bites the woman’s sexual organs. The clitorisClitorisVery sensitive organ of which the top is visible just above the opening…Read more. Especially the clitoris is very sensitive.
- Oral sex with a man: the partner uses their mouth, tongue and lips to stimulate the man’s penis and scrotumScrotumPart of the male body: the "bag" of skin that contains the testicles.Read more.
You can also stimulate your partner’s nipples or anusAnusOpening between the buttocks where faeces leave the body.Read more with your tongue.
A man giving a woman oral sex.
A woman giving a man oral sex.
There is a small riskRiskPossibility that something unpleasant may happen, for example a disease.Read more of infecting your partner with an STISTISTI means sexually transmitted infection: an infection that is usually only transmitted by…Read more, or getting an STI from them, through oral sex:
- Do not give oral sex when you have blisters, sores or lesions in or around your mouth.
- Avoid getting vaginal dischargeVaginal dischargeColourless or white fluid from the vagina. This is normal. The fluid prevents…Read more, bloodBloodRed fluid that has important functions in the body, for example: carrying oxygen…Read more or semenSemenThick white fluid that comes out of a man's penis when he ejaculates.…Read more in your mouth and do not swallow.
- Place a dental damDental damThin piece of latex which covers the vulva or anus during oral sex. A…Read more over the sexual organs to protect yourself better. You can also cut open a condomCondomCovering of thin rubber that a man wears over his erect penis. A…Read more instead of using a dental dam.
Anal sexAnal sexSexual contact with penetration of the anus.Read more
Anal sex is sex with penetration of someone’s anus with a hard penis or sex toy. You can also penetrate the anus with a finger or caress it.
You can infect your partner with an STI through anal sex:
- Use a condom. Use a new condom if you want to have vaginal sex or oral sex after as well.
- Use lots of lubricantLubricantSlippery fluid or gel used on the penis, vagina or anus. A lubricant…Read more. Use a water-based or silicone lubricant. Do not use oil or cream, as the condom might tear.
2 men having anal sex.
MasturbationMasturbationGetting aroused by stimulating your own body (usually the sexual organs). Masturbation can…Read more
Masturbation means giving yourself sexual pleasure by stimulating your own body, especially the vagina, clitoris, penis, nipples or anus, with your hands or a sex toy.
Talking with your partner
You can have sex in different ways. Not everyone wants to have sex in the same way. Talk about it with your partner and try to find out what you both like.
This website offers illustrations of different sex positions. It is only available in Dutch.
Couple talking in bed.