Editing Sexual intercourse (section)

==Social effects==
{{See also|Human mating strategies|Pair bond}}

===Adults===
Sexual intercourse may be for reproductive, relational, or recreational purposes.<ref name="Harvey J">{{cite book| first1=John H. |last1=Harvey |first2=Amy |last2=Wenzel |first3=Susan |last3=Sprecher|title =The Handbook of Sexuality in Close Relationships|publisher = [[Psychology Press]] | year = 2004 | pages = 172–173|isbn =1-135-62470-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qsl4AgAAQBAJ}}</ref> It often plays a strong role in [[human bonding]].<ref name="Freberg"/> In many societies, it is normal for couples to have sexual intercourse while using some method of birth control, sharing pleasure and strengthening their emotional bond through sexual activity even though they are deliberately avoiding pregnancy.<ref name="Freberg"/>

In humans and [[bonobo]]s, the female undergoes relatively [[concealed ovulation]] so that male and female partners commonly do not know whether she is fertile at any given moment. One possible reason for this distinct biological feature may be formation of strong emotional bonds between sexual partners important for social interactions and, in the case of humans, long-term partnership rather than immediate sexual reproduction.<ref name="Reis">{{Cite book|author= Harry T. Reis|author2= Susan Sprecher |author-link=Harry Reis | title = Encyclopedia of Human Relationships |volume=1| year = 2009 | publisher = [[SAGE Publications|SAGE]] |pages=541–543 | isbn = 978-1-4129-5846-2| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3EkOwvSAtL4C&pg=PA541}}</ref>

[[Sexual dissatisfaction]] due to the lack of sexual intercourse is associated with increased risk of [[divorce]] and relationship dissolution, especially for men.<ref name="Munck">{{cite book| author = Victor C. De Munck|title =Romantic Love and Sexual Behavior: Perspectives from the Social Sciences|publisher = [[Greenwood Publishing Group]] | year = 1998 | pages = 148–149 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-275-95726-1| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=I78VnFoINgQC&pg=PA148}}</ref><ref name="Howe">{{cite book| author = Tasha R. Howe|title =Marriages and Families in the 21st Century: A Bioecological Approach|publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | year = 2011 | page = 411 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-4051-9501-0| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=UHaLL0pYwhMC&pg=PA411}}</ref><ref name="Fine">{{cite book|author1=Mark A Fine |author2=John H. Harvey |title =Handbook of Divorce and Relationship Dissolution|publisher = [[Psychology Press]] | year = 2013 | page = 160 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-317-82421-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=wGZlAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA160}}</ref> Some research, however, indicates that general dissatisfaction with [[marriage]] for men results if their wives [[flirted]] with, erotically kissed or became romantically or sexually involved with another man ([[infidelity]]),<ref name="Munck"/><ref name="Howe"/> and that this is especially the case for men with a lower emotional and composite marital satisfaction.<ref name="Fine"/> Other studies report that the lack of sexual intercourse does not significantly result in divorce, though it is commonly one of the various contributors to it.<ref name="Reinisch2">{{cite book| author = June M. Reinisch| author2 = Ruth Beasley| author-link = June Reinisch | title = The Kinsey Institute New Report On Sex| publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] | year = 1991 | page = 74| access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-312-06386-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=KsW6wPiXEd0C&pg=PA74}}</ref><ref name="Schwartz2">{{cite book| author = Pepper Schwartz| author2 = Virginia Rutter| author-link=Pepper Schwartz | author2-link=Virginia Rutter |title =The Gender of Sexuality|publisher = [[Rowman & Littlefield]] | year = 1998 | page = 129 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-8039-9042-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=7bWlvcpYGUcC&pg=PA129}}</ref> According to the 2010 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), men whose most recent sexual encounter was with a relationship partner reported greater arousal, greater pleasure, fewer problems with erectile function, orgasm, and less pain during the event than men whose last sexual encounter was with a non-relationship partner.<ref name="Yarber">{{cite book| author = William Yarber| author2 = Barbara Sayad| author3 = Bryan Strong| author3-link = Bryan Strong|title =Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America|edition =Eighth|publisher = [[McGraw-Hill Higher Education]] | year = 2012 | page = 445 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-07-743525-7| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=EWz7twAACAAJ&q=Human+Sexuality:+Diversity+in+Contemporary+America}}</ref>

For women, there is often a complaint about the lack of their spouses' sexual spontaneity. Decreased sexual activity among these women may be the result of their perceived failure to maintain ideal [[physical attractiveness]] or because their sexual partners' health issues have hindered sexual intercourse.<ref name="Montemurro">{{cite book| author = Beth Montemurro|title =Deserving Desire: Women's Stories of Sexual Evolution|publisher = [[Rutgers University Press]] | year = 2014 | page = 169 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-8135-7306-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=1XVYBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT169}}</ref> Some women express that their most satisfying sexual experiences entail being connected to someone, rather than solely basing satisfaction on orgasm.<ref name="Wincze"/><ref name="Gurian">{{cite book| author = Michael Gurian| author-link=Michael Gurian|title =The Wonder of Aging: A New Approach to Embracing Life After Fifty|publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | year = 2013 | page = 178 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-4767-0671-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=XyS5ebuXJWgC&pg=PT178}}</ref> With regard to divorce, women are more likely to divorce their spouses for a [[one-night stand]] or various infidelities if they are in less cooperative or high-conflict marriages.<ref name="Fine"/>

Research additionally indicates that non-married couples who are [[cohabiting]] engage in sexual intercourse more often than married couples, and are more likely to participate in sexual activity outside of their sexual relationships; this may be due to the "[[honeymoon]]" effect (the newness or novelty of sexual intercourse with the partner), since sexual intercourse is usually practiced less the longer a couple is married, with couples engaging in sexual intercourse or other sexual activity once or twice a week, or approximately six to seven times a month.<ref name="Strong2">{{cite book| author = Bryan Strong| author2 = Theodore Cohen |author-link=Bryan Strong|title =The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationships in a Changing Society|publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2013 | page = 212 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn =978-1-285-53189-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZIWAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT237}}</ref> [[Sexuality in older age]] also affects the frequency of sexual intercourse, as older people generally engage in sexual intercourse less frequently than younger people do.<ref name="Strong2"/>

===Adolescents===
{{Main|Adolescent sexuality}}
Adolescents commonly use sexual intercourse for relational and recreational purposes, which may negatively or positively impact their lives. For example, while [[teenage pregnancy]] may be welcomed in some cultures, it is also commonly disparaged, and research suggests that the [[Precocious puberty|earlier onset of puberty]] for children puts pressure on children and teenagers to act like adults before they are emotionally or cognitively ready.<ref name="sex lives3">{{cite book| title=The Sex Lives of Teenagers| isbn=978-0-452-28260-5| last=Ponton| first=Lynn| author-link=Lynn Ponton| year=2000| page=[https://archive.org/details/sexlivesofteenag00lynn/page/3 3]| publisher=[[Dutton Publishing]]| url=https://archive.org/details/sexlivesofteenag00lynn/page/3}}</ref> Some studies have concluded that engaging in sexual intercourse leaves adolescents, especially girls, with higher levels of stress and depression, and that girls may be likelier to engage in sexual risk (such as sexual intercourse without the use of a condom),<ref name="DiClemente">{{cite book| author = Ralph J. DiClemente| author2 = John S. Santelli| author3 = Richard A. Crosby|title = Adolescent Health: Understanding and Preventing Risk Behaviors| publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]] | year = 2009 | pages = 521–522| access-date = December 7, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-470-45279-0| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=KcrwY8eCwcQC&pg=PT521}}</ref><ref name="Abaied">{{cite book| author = Jamie L Abaied| author2 = Deepika Anand| author3 = Tracey L Auster| author4 = Daniel BE|title =The Oxford Handbook of Depression and Comorbidity| publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | year = 2014 | page = 450 | access-date = December 7, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-19-979700-4| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=hzpsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA450}}</ref> but it may be that further research is needed in these areas.<ref name="Abaied"/> In some countries, such as the United States, [[sex education]] and [[abstinence-only sex education]] curricula are available to educate adolescents about sexual activity; these programs are controversial, as debate exists as to whether teaching children and adolescents about sexual intercourse or other sexual activity should only be left up to parents or other [[caregiver]]s.<ref name="Ryan">{{cite book| author =Kevin Ryan| author2 =James Cooper|title =Those Who Can, Teach|publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2008 | page = 110 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-547-20488-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=rqmdR6Xrgq8C&pg=PA110}}</ref>

Some studies from the 1970s through 1990s suggested an association between [[self-esteem]] and sexual intercourse among adolescents,<ref name="Lerner 2">{{cite book| first1 = Richard M. | last1 = Lerner | first2 = Daniel F. | last2 = Perkins | name-list-style = vanc |title = Social Interactions in Adolescence and Promoting Positive Social Contributions of Youth| publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] | year = 1999 | page = 124| access-date = April 14, 2017 |isbn = 978-0-8153-3295-4| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=BunEIQylaJAC&pg=PA124}}</ref> while other studies, from the 1980s and 1990s, reported that the research generally indicates little or no relationship between self-esteem and sexual activity among adolescents.<ref name="Kowalski">{{cite book |vauthors=Kowalski RM, Leary MR |title =The Interface of Social and Clinical Psychology: Key Readings| publisher = [[Psychology Press]] | year = 2004 | page = 121| access-date = April 14, 2017 |isbn = 978-1-84169-087-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=qkEdaQ4heGgC&pg=PA121}}</ref> By the 1990s, the evidence mostly supported the latter,<ref name="Kowalski"/> and further research has supported little or no relationship between self-esteem and sexual activity among adolescents.<ref name="Guindon">{{cite book| author =Mary H. Guindon|title =Self-Esteem Across the Lifespan: Issues and Interventions| publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] | year = 2009 | page = 147| access-date = April 14, 2017 |isbn = 978-1-84169-087-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=EcoPo06GYCMC&pg=PA147}}</ref><ref name="Lisa Arai">{{cite book| author =Lisa Arai|title =Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem| publisher = [[Policy Press]] | year = 2009 | page = 147| access-date = April 14, 2017 |isbn = 978-1-84742-074-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=qzOguz7GqNoC&pg=PA32}}</ref> Scholar Lisa Arai stated, "The idea that early sexual activity and pregnancy is linked to low self-esteem became fashionable in the latter half of the 20th century, particularly in the US," adding that, "Yet, in a systematic review of the relationship between self-esteem and teenagers' sexual behaviours, attitudes and intentions (which analyzed findings from 38 publications) 62% of behavioral findings and 72% of the attitudinal findings exhibited no statistically significant associations (Goodson et al, 2006)."<ref name="Lisa Arai"/> Studies that do find a link suggest that non-virgin boys have higher self-esteem than virgin boys and that girls who have low self-esteem and poor [[self-image]] are more prone to risk-taking behaviors, such as unprotected sex and [[multiple sexual partners]].<ref name="Lerner 2"/><ref name="Guindon"/><ref name="Lisa Arai"/>

Psychiatrist [[Lynn Ponton]] wrote, "All adolescents have sex lives, whether they are sexually active with others, with themselves, or seemingly not at all", and that viewing adolescent sexuality as a potentially positive experience, rather than as something inherently dangerous, may help young people develop healthier patterns and make more positive choices regarding sexual activity.<ref name="sex lives3" /> Researchers state that long-term romantic relationships allow adolescents to gain the skills necessary for high-quality relationships later in life.<ref>Madsen S., Collins W. A. (2005). Differential predictions of young adult romantic relationships from transitory vs. longer romantic experiences during adolescence. Presented at ''Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development'', Atlanta, Georgia.</ref> Overall, positive romantic relationships among adolescents can result in long-term benefits. High-quality romantic relationships are associated with higher commitment in early adulthood,<ref>{{ill|Seiffge-Krenke I.|de|Inge Seiffge-Krenke}}, Lang J. (2002). Forming and maintaining romantic relations from early adolescence to young adulthood: evidence of a developmental sequence. Presented at 19th ''Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence'', New Orleans, Louisiana.</ref> and are positively associated with social competence.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pearce MJ, Boergers J, Prinstein MJ | s2cid = 154577 | title = Adolescent obesity, overt and relational peer victimization, and romantic relationships | journal = Obesity Research | volume = 10 | issue = 5 | pages = 386–93 | year = 2002 | pmid = 12006638 | doi = 10.1038/oby.2002.53 | doi-access =  }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Siebenbruner J, Collins WA | title = A prospective study of intraindividual and peer influences on adolescents' heterosexual romantic and sexual behavior | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 33 | issue = 4 | pages = 381–394 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15162084 | doi = 10.1023/B:ASEB.0000028891.16654.2c | s2cid = 1054833 }}</ref>