Editing Sexual intercourse (section)

==Ethical, religious, and legal views==
===General===
{{See also|Sexual ethics|Religion and sexuality|Sex and the law}}
[[File:Erotic scenes Louvre G13 n4.jpg|thumb|Erotic painting on ancient Greek [[kylix]]]]
While sexual intercourse, as coitus, is the natural mode of reproduction for the human species, humans have intricate moral and ethical guidelines which regulate the practice of sexual intercourse and vary according to [[religion and sexuality|religious]] and governmental laws. Some governments and religions also have strict designations of what they consider appropriate and inappropriate sexual behavior, which include restrictions on the types of sex acts which are permissible. A historically prohibited or regulated sex act is anal sex.<ref>[[William N. Eskridge Jr.]] Dishonorable Passions: Sodomy Laws in America, 1861–2003. (2008) Viking Adult. {{ISBN|0-670-01862-7}}</ref><ref>Noelle N. R. Quenivet. Sexual Offenses in Armed Conflict & International Law. (2005) Hotei Publishing. {{ISBN|1-57105-341-7}}</ref>

===Sexual offenses===
Sexual intercourse with a person against their will, or without their [[Consent#Sexual activity|consent]], is [[rape]], but may also be called ''[[sexual assault]]''; it is considered a serious [[criminal law|crime]] in most countries.<ref name="Sex and Society">{{cite book|author=Marshall Cavendish Corporation | title = Sex and Society | publisher = [[Marshall Cavendish Corporation]] | year = 2010 | pages = 143–144 | access-date = August 25, 2013|isbn = 978-0-7614-7906-2|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=aVDZchwkIMEC&pg=PA143}}</ref><ref name="Greenberg2">{{cite book|author=Jerrold S. Greenberg|author2=Clint E. Bruess|author3=Sarah C. Conklin| title = Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality| publisher = [[Jones & Bartlett Learning]] | year = 2010 | page = 515 | access-date = August 25, 2013|isbn = 978-0-7637-7660-2|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=1NC5R0RozBYC&pg=PA515}}</ref> More than 90% of rape victims are female, 99% of rapists male, and only about 5% of rapists are strangers to the victims.<ref name="Greenberg2"/>

Most countries have [[age of consent]] laws which set the minimum legal age with whom an older person may engage in sexual intercourse, usually set at 16 to 18, but ranges from 12 to 20, years of age. In some societies, an age of consent is set by non-statutory custom or tradition.<ref name="Kinnear">{{cite book|author=Karen L. Kinnear| title = Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Reference Handbook| publisher = [[ABC-CLIO]] | year = 2007 | page = 89 | access-date = August 25, 2013|isbn = 978-1-85109-905-4|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=V1rogCrcOMwC}}</ref> Sex with a person under the age of consent, regardless of their stated consent, is often considered sexual assault or [[statutory rape]] depending on differences in ages of the participants. Some countries treat any sex with a person of diminished or insufficient mental capacity to give consent, regardless of age, as rape.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Reed|first=E. J.|title=Criminal Law and the Capacity of Mentally Retarded Persons to Consent to Sexual Activity |journal=[[Virginia Law Review]] |year=1997|volume=83|issue=4 |pages=799–827|jstor=1073749|doi=10.2307/1073749}}</ref>
[[File:Slevogt Faun and a Girl.jpg|thumb|left|[[Max Slevogt]] depiction of rape]]
Robert Francoeur et al. stated that "prior to the 1970s, rape definitions of sex often included only penile-vaginal sexual intercourse."<ref name="Francoeur">{{cite book | title = The Continuum Complete International Encyclopedia of Sexuality | publisher = [[Continuum International Publishing Group]] | year = 2004 | page = 173 | access-date = April 30, 2013|isbn = 978-0-8264-1488-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=PQMTzc6y8ZAC&pg=PA173 | first1 = Robert T. | last1 = Francoeur | author1-link = Robert T. Francoeur | first2 = Raymond J. | last2 = Noonan | first3 = Beldina | last3 = Opiyo-Omolo | name-list-style = vanc }}</ref> Authors Pamela J. Kalbfleisch and Michael J. Cody stated that this made it so that if "sex means penile-vaginal intercourse, then rape means forced penile-vaginal intercourse, and other sexual behaviors&nbsp;– such as fondling a person's genitals without her or his consent, forced oral sex, and same-sex coercion&nbsp;– are not considered rape"; they stated that "although some other forms of forced sexual contact are included within the legal category of sodomy (e.g., anal penetration and oral-genital contact), many unwanted sexual contacts have no legal grounding as rape in some states".<ref name="Kalbfleisch"/> Ken Plumber argued that the legal meaning "of rape in most countries is unlawful sexual intercourse which means the penis must penetrate the vagina" and that "other forms of sexual violence towards women such as forced oral sex or anal intercourse, or the insertion of other objects into the vagina, constitute the 'less serious' crime of sexual assault".<ref name="Plummer">{{cite book| author = Ken Plummer | author-link = Ken Plummer (sociologist) | title = Modern Homosexualities: Fragments of Lesbian and Gay Experiences | publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2002 | pages = 187–191 | access-date = August 24, 2013|isbn =978-1-134-92242-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSO3q4XEfz4C&pg=PA189|quote=[S]ome sexual practices are regarded as inherently better (normal, natural, more satisfying) than others, with vaginal intercourse privileged as the 'Real Thing.' Such beliefs, influenced by views about sex as ultimately a reproductive function, continue to be perpetuated through discourses on sex despite a number of important contradictions.}}</ref>

Over time, the meaning of rape broadened in some parts of the world to include many types of sexual penetration, including anal intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, and penetration of the genitals or rectum by an inanimate object.<ref name="Francoeur"/> Until 2012, the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) still considered rape a crime solely committed by men against women. In 2012, they changed the meaning from "The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will" to "The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim." The meaning does not change federal or state criminal codes or impact charging and prosecution on the federal, state or local level, but instead assures that rape will be more accurately reported nationwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/1801 |title=An Updated Definition of Rape (U.S. Dept of Justice, January 6, 2012) |access-date=October 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313021145/http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/1801 |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/us/politics/federal-crime-statistics-to-expand-rape-definition.html |title=U.S. to Expand Rape Definition in Crime Statistics|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 6, 2012 |last1=Savage|first1=Charlie|author1-link=Charlie Savage (author)}}</ref> In some instances, penetration is not required for the act to be categorized as rape.<ref name="Book04">{{cite book |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Merril D. |title=Encyclopedia of rape |year=2004 |publisher=Greenwood Press |location=Westport, Conn. |isbn=978-0-313-32687-5 |pages=169–170 |edition=1st}}</ref>

In most societies around the world, the concept of [[incest]] exists and is criminalized. James Roffee, a senior lecturer in criminology at [[Monash University]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://monash.edu/research/explore/en/persons/james-roffee(896c15d7-6f28-4bf0-8a0f-b7d6ff1553e0).html |title=Dr James Roffee|publisher=Monash university|access-date=May 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204003059/http://monash.edu/research/explore/en/persons/james-roffee%28896c15d7-6f28-4bf0-8a0f-b7d6ff1553e0%29.html|archive-date=February 4, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> addressed potential harm associated with familial sexual activity, such as resulting children born with deficiencies. However, the law is more concerned with protecting the rights of people who are potentially subjected to such abuse. This is why familial sexual relationships are criminalized, even if all parties are consensual. There are laws prohibiting all kinds of sexual activity between relatives, not necessarily penetrative sex. These laws refer to grandparents, parents, children, siblings, aunts and uncles. There are differences between states in terms of the severity of punishments and what they consider to be a relative, including biological parents, step-parents, adoptive parents and half-siblings.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/hrlr/ngu023 |last=Roffee |first=J. A. |date=September 2014 |title=No Consensus on Incest? Criminalisation and Compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights |journal=Human Rights Law Review |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=541–572}}</ref>

Another sexual matter concerning consent is [[zoophilia]], which is a [[paraphilia]] involving sexual activity between human and non-human animals, or a fixation on such practice.<ref name="DSM">{{cite book |title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV | publisher = [[American Psychiatric Association]] |location=Washington, DC |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-89042-025-6 | title-link = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders }}</ref><ref name="Milner2008">{{cite book |veditors = Laws DR, O'Donohue WT |name-list-style = amp | last = Milner | first = JS |author2=Dopke CA | title = Sexual Deviance, Second Edition: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment | publisher = [[The Guilford Press]] | location = New York | year = 2008 | pages = [https://books.google.com/books?id=yIXG9FuqbaIC&pg=PA385 384–418] |isbn=978-1-59385-605-2 | chapter = Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified: Psychopathology and theory}}</ref><ref name="Seto2000">{{cite book |editor = Hersen M |editor2 = Van Hasselt VB | title = Aggression and violence: an introductory text |publisher= [[Allyn & Bacon]] |location=Boston |year=2000 |pages= 198–213 |isbn=978-0-205-26721-7 | last = Seto| first = MC|author2=Barbaree HE | chapter = Paraphilias}}</ref> Human sexual activity with non-human animals is not outlawed in some jurisdictions, but it is illegal in others under [[animal abuse]] laws or laws dealing with [[crimes against nature]].<ref name="Perdue">{{cite book| author =Abigail Perdue| author2 =Randall Lockwood|title=Animal Cruelty and Freedom of Speech: When Worlds Collide|publisher =[[Purdue University Press]]| year = 2014 | pages = 6–8| access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-55753-633-4| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=R1ncAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6}}</ref>

===Romantic relationships===
[[File:Lawrence Alma-Tadema Courtship - The Proposal.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] depiction of [[courtship]] and a [[marriage proposal]]]]

====Marriage and relationships====
Sexual intercourse has traditionally been considered an essential part of a marriage, with many religious customs requiring [[consummation]] of the marriage and citing marriage as the most appropriate union for sexual reproduction (procreation).<!-- NOTE: This is also sourced in the bullet-point examples list below.--><ref name="Hogan">{{cite book| author =Margaret Monahan Hogan|title =Marriage as a Relationship: Real and Rational|publisher = [[Marquette University Press]] | year = 2002 | page = 88 | access-date = September 1, 2015 |isbn = 978-0-87462-657-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=HuztAAAAMAAJ&q=Marriage+as+a+Relationship:+Real+and+Rational}}</ref> In such cases, a failure for any reason to consummate the marriage would be considered a ground for [[annulment]] (which does not require a divorce process). Sexual relations between marriage partners have been a "marital right" in various societies and religions, both historically and in modern times, especially with regard to a husband's rights to his wife.<ref name="Dwyer">{{cite book| author =James G. Dwyer|title =Religious Schools V. Children's Rights|publisher = [[Cornell University Press]] | year = 2001 | pages = 72–73 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-0-8014-8731-6| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=QDwD4huqyysC&pg=PA72}}</ref><ref name="Green">{{cite book| author =Ronald Green|author-link=Ronald Michael Green|title =Religion and Sexual Health: Ethical, Theological, and Clinical Perspectives, Volume 1 of Theology and Medicine|publisher = [[Springer Science & Business Media]] | year = 2013 | page = 112 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-94-015-7963-6| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=h2mvBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT112}}</ref><ref name="Brook">{{cite book| author =Heather Brook|title = Conjugality: Marriage and Marriage-like Relationships Before the Law|publisher = [[Palgrave Macmillan]] | year = 2015 | pages = 71–73 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-1-137-48091-0| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=rP2_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA71}}</ref> Until the late 20th century, there was usually a [[marital rape|marital exemption]] in [[rape law]]s which precluded a husband from being prosecuted under the rape law for forced sex with his wife.<ref name="Steinmetz">{{cite book| author =Suzanne K. Steinmetz| author2 =Marvin B. Sussman|title = Handbook of Marriage and the Family|publisher = [[Springer Science & Business Media]] | year = 2013 | pages = 787–788 | access-date = August 31, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-4615-7151-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=T6XwBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA787}}</ref> Author Oshisanya, 'lai Oshitokunbo stated, "As the legal status of women has changed, the concept of a married man's or woman's marital right to sexual intercourse has become less widely held."<ref name="Oshitokunbo">{{cite book| author =Oshisanya, 'lai Oshitokunbo|title = An Almanac of Contemporary Judicial Restatements (Criminal & Quasi Criminal Law & Procedure) vol. iii: Almanac vol. iii|publisher = Almanac Foundation | year = 2015 | page = 132 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-978-51200-3-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=fsDOBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA132}}</ref>

[[Adultery]] (engaging in sexual intercourse with someone other than one's spouse) has been, and remains, a criminal offense in some jurisdictions.<ref name="Brundage">{{cite book| author =[[James A. Brundage]]|title =Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe|publisher = [[University of Chicago Press]] | year = 2009 | pages = 609–611 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-0-226-07789-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=SiGe-Zf0nTIC&pg=PA609}}</ref><ref name="Carlan">{{cite book| author =Philip Carlan| author2 =Lisa S. Nored| author3 =Ragan A. Downey|title =An Introduction to Criminal Law|publisher = [[Jones & Bartlett Publishers]] | year = 2011 | page = 139 | access-date = August 31, 2015 |isbn = 978-1-4496-4721-6| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8-tPwZyNWzkC&pg=PA139}}</ref> Sexual intercourse between unmarried partners and cohabitation of an unmarried couple are also illegal in some jurisdictions.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|title = Can Iran 'control' its cohabiting couples?|date = December 10, 2014|access-date=August 31, 2015|work = BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30391593}}</ref><ref name="amnesty.org">{{cite web|title=Amnesty International Report 2014/15|date=2014|access-date=August 31, 2015|publisher=[[amnesty.org]]|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/morocco/report-morocco/|archive-date=May 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504233053/https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/morocco/report-morocco/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Conversely, in other countries, marriage is not required, socially or legally, in order to have sexual intercourse or to procreate (for example, the majority of births are outside of marriage in countries such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Bulgaria, Estonia, Slovenia, France, Belgium).<ref name="europa.eu">{{cite web|title =Share of live births outside marriage|date = March 2, 2015|access-date=August 31, 2015|publisher = [[europa.eu]] |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tps00018}}</ref>

With regard to [[divorce law]]s, the refusal to engage in sexual intercourse with one's spouse may give rise to a [[grounds for divorce]], which may be listed under "grounds of abandonment".<ref name=Choudhri>{{cite book| author =Choudhri, Nihara K|title =The complete guide to divorce law|publisher = [[Citadel Press]] | year = 2004 | pages = 8–9 | access-date = August 30, 2015 |isbn = 978-0-8065-2528-0| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=5cLIO2yUA4gC&pg=PA8}}</ref> Concerning [[no-fault divorce]] jurisdictions, author James G. Dwyer stated that no-fault divorce laws "have made it much easier for a woman to exit a marital relationship, and wives have obtained greater control over their bodies while in a marriage" because of legislative and judicial changes regarding the concept of a marital exemption when a man rapes his wife.<ref name="Dwyer"/>

There are various legal positions regarding the meaning and legality of sexual intercourse between persons of the same sex or gender. For example, in the 2003 [[New Hampshire Supreme Court]] case [[Blanchflower v. Blanchflower]], it was held that female same-sex sexual relations, and same-sex sexual practices in general, did not constitute sexual intercourse, based on a 1961 entry in ''[[Webster's Third New International Dictionary]]'' that categorizes sexual intercourse as coitus; and thereby an accused wife in a divorce case was found not guilty of [[adultery]].<ref name="GLAD, B vs. B">{{cite web|title=Blanchflower v. Blanchflower and Mayer|publisher=[[Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders]] (GLAD)|date=December 31, 2003|access-date=August 9, 2013|url=http://www.glad.org/work/cases/blanchflower-v-blanchflower-and-mayer|archive-date=November 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121174107/http://www.glad.org/work/cases/blanchflower-v-blanchflower-and-mayer|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="courts.state.nh.us">{{cite web |title=In the Matter of David G. Blanchflower and Sian E. Blanchflower |website=New Hampshire Judicial Branch |date=November 7, 2003 |access-date=September 3, 2023 |url=http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme/opinions/2003/blanc150.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212230629/http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme/opinions/2003/blanc150.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2004}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Some countries consider same-sex sexual behavior an offense punishable by imprisonment or execution; this is the case, for example, [[LGBT in Islam|in Islamic countries]], including [[LGBT rights in Iran|LGBT issues in Iran]].<ref>[[Janet Afary]]. Sexual Politics in Modern Iran. (2009) [[Cambridge University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-521-89846-3}}</ref><ref name="amnesty.org2">{{cite web|title=PUBLIC AI Index: MDE 13/010/2008. UA 17/08 Fear of imminent execution/ flogging|publisher=[[Amnesty International]]|access-date=December 22, 2013|url=http://www2.amnesty.se/uaonnet.nsf/dfab8d7f58eec102c1257011006466e1/fd0b99f84da0da71c12573d7003a87a5?OpenDocument&Click=|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305004923/http://www2.amnesty.se/uaonnet.nsf/dfab8d7f58eec102c1257011006466e1/fd0b99f84da0da71c12573d7003a87a5?OpenDocument&Click=|archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>

Opposition to [[same-sex marriage]] is largely based on the belief that sexual intercourse and sexual orientation should be of a heterosexual nature.<ref name="Cahn and Carbone">{{Cite book|author1=Naomi R. Cahn |author2=June Carbone |title = Red families v. blue families: legal polarization and the creation of culture | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] US| year = 2010 |page =129| isbn = 978-0-19-537217-5|access-date=July 29, 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F6eeGny49J4C&pg=PA129}}</ref><ref name="Cantor">{{Cite book| author =Donald J. Cantor|title =Same-sex marriage: the legal and psychological evolution in America| publisher = [[Wesleyan University Press]]| year = 2006 |pages =1–191| isbn = 978-0-8195-6812-0|access-date=July 29, 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lydHmmrHB8QC}}</ref><ref name="psychological">{{cite web|title=Resolution on Sexual Orientation and Marriage |author=[[American Psychological Association]] |year=2004| access-date=September 1, 2015 |url=http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/task-force/military-deployment.pdf}}</ref> The recognition of such marriages is a [[civil rights]], political, social, moral and religious issue in many nations, and the conflicts arise over whether same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into marriage, be required to use a different status (such as a [[civil union]], which either grant equal rights as marriage or limited rights in comparison to marriage), or not have any such rights. A related issue is whether the word ''marriage'' should be applied.<ref name="Cantor"/><ref name="psychological"/>

====Religious views====
{{See also|Religion and sexuality}}
There are wide differences in religious views with regard to sexual intercourse in or outside of marriage:
* Most denominations of [[Christianity]], including [[Catholicism]], have strict views or rules on what sexual practices are and are not acceptable.<ref name="Akin">{{Cite book|author=Daniel L. Akin|author-link=Daniel L. Akin| title = God on Sex: The Creator's Ideas About Love, Intimacy, and Marriage| year = 2003| publisher = [[B&H Publishing Group]] |pages= 1–291 | isbn = 978-0-8054-2596-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dInbMZK18soC|access-date=October 21, 2015}}</ref> Most Christian views on sexual intercourse are influenced by various interpretations of the [[Bible]].<ref name="Hollinger">{{cite book| author =Dennis P. Hollinger|author-link=Dennis Hollinger|title =The Meaning of Sex: Christian Ethics and the Moral Life|publisher = [[Baker Academic]] | year = 2009 | pages = 30–33 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-8010-3571-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=86tzBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA30}}</ref> Sexual intercourse outside of marriage, for example, is considered a [[sin]] in some churches; in such cases, sexual intercourse may be called a sacred covenant, holy, or a holy sacrament between husband and wife.<ref name="Akin"/><ref name="Hollinger"/> Historically, Christian teachings often promoted [[celibacy]],<ref name="Denton">{{cite book| author =Chad Denton|title =The War on Sex: Western Repression from the Torah to Victoria|publisher = [[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] | year = 2014 | pages = 107–117 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-547-20488-8| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Cl6QBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA107}}</ref> although today usually only certain members (for example, certain [[celibacy of the clergy|religious leaders]]) of some groups take a vow of celibacy, forsaking both marriage and any type of sexual or romantic activity.<ref name="Hollinger"/> The Bible may be interpreted as endorsing penile-vaginal penetration as the only form of acceptable sexual activity,<ref name="Kamitsuka">{{cite book| author =Margaret D. Kamitsuka|title =The Embrace of Eros: Bodies, Desires, and Sexuality in Christianity|publisher = [[Fortress Press]] | year = 2010 | pages = 16–17 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-4514-1351-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=VhIrHceA7ssC&pg=PA16}}</ref><ref name="Knauss">{{cite book| author =Stefanie Knauss|title =More Than a Provocation: Sexuality, Media and Theology|publisher = [[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]] | year = 2014 | page = 69 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-3-525-60450-2| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=mv9NAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA69}}</ref> while other interpretations view the Bible as not being clear on oral sex or other particular sexual behaviors and that it is a personal decision as to whether oral sex is acceptable within marriage.<ref name="Kamitsuka"/><ref name="Barnes">{{cite book| author =Robert G. Barnes| author2 =Rosemary J. Barnes|title=Great Sexpectations: Finding Lasting Intimacy in Your Marriage |publisher = [[Zondervan]] | year = 1996 | page = [https://archive.org/details/greatsexpectatio0000barn/page/66 66] | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-310-20137-3| url =https://archive.org/details/greatsexpectatio0000barn| url-access =registration}}</ref><ref name="Scheepers">{{cite book| author =Christo Scheepers|publisher = Struik Christian Media|title=Between the Covers: Sexual freedom through the bond of marriage | year = 2012 | page = 53 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-4153-2056-3| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=LJzpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT53}}</ref> Some sects consider the use of birth control to prevent sexual reproduction a grave sin against God and marriage, as they believe that the main purpose of marriage, or one of its primary purposes, is to produce children, while other sects do not hold such beliefs.<ref name="Oliphant">{{cite book| author =Jill Oliphant|title =OCR Religious Ethics for AS and A2|publisher = [[Routledge]] | year = 2010 | page = 213 | access-date = September 1, 2015 |isbn = 978-1-136-99291-9| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VmJd87byr1AC&pg=PT213}}</ref>
** In the Roman Catholic Church, if a matrimonial celebration takes place (ratification), but the spouses have not yet engaged in intercourse (consummation), then the marriage is considered to be a marriage via ''[[ratum sed non consummatum]]''. Such a marriage, regardless of the reason for non-consummation, can be dissolved by the [[pope]].<ref name="d'Avray">{{cite book| author =D. L. d'Avray|title =Rationalities in History: A Weberian Essay in Comparison|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]] | year = 2010 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/rationalitie_dav_2010_000_10426673/page/n188 177]–178 | access-date = September 1, 2015 |isbn = 978-1-139-49050-4| url =https://archive.org/details/rationalitie_dav_2010_000_10426673| url-access =registration}}</ref>
** In [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) sexual relations within the bonds of matrimony are seen as sacred. Latter-day Saints consider sexual relations to be ordained of God for the creation of children and for the expression of love between husband and wife. Members are discouraged from having any sexual relations before marriage, and from being unfaithful to their spouses after marriage.<ref name="Swatos">{{cite book| author =William H. Swatos| author2 =Peter Kivisto|title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Society|publisher =[[Rowman Altamira]]| year = 1998 | page = 464 | access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-7619-8956-1| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=6TMFoMFe-D8C&pg=PA464}}</ref>
** [[Shakers]] believe that sexual intercourse is the root of all sin and that all people should therefore be celibate, including married couples. The original Shaker community that peaked at 6,000 full members in 1840 dwindled to [[Sister June Carpenter|three members by 2009]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Last Ones Standing |author=Chase, Stacey |date=July 23, 2006 |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2006/07/23/the_last_ones_standing/?page=full |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813114148/https://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2006/07/23/the_last_ones_standing/?page=full |archive-date=August 13, 2006 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 26, 2023}}</ref>
* In [[Judaism]], a married Jewish man is required to provide his wife with sexual pleasure called ''onah'' (literally, "her time"), which is one of the conditions he takes upon himself as part of the Jewish marriage contract, ''[[ketubah]]'', that he gives her during the Jewish wedding ceremony. In [[Jewish views on marriage]], sexual desire is not evil, but must be satisfied in the proper time, place and manner.<ref name="Zilney">{{cite book| author =Laura J. Zilney| author2 =Lisa Anne Zilney|title=Perverts and Predators: The Making of Sexual Offending Laws|publisher =[[Rowman & Littlefield]]| year = 2009 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/pervertspredator0000ziln/page/7 7]–8| access-date = December 9, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-7425-6624-8| url =https://archive.org/details/pervertspredator0000ziln| url-access =registration}}</ref>
* [[Islam]] views sex within marriage as something pleasurable, a spiritual activity, and a duty.<ref name=columbia/><ref name=islam>Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Karim al-Sheha. Islamic Perspective of Sex (2003) Saudi Arabia. {{ISBN|9960-43-140-1}}</ref><ref name=islam2>Fatima M. D'Oyen. The Miracle of Life. (2007) Islamic Foundation (UK). {{ISBN|0-86037-355-X}}</ref> In Shia Islam, men are allowed to marry up to four wives at a time with whom they can engage in sexual activities, including intercourse.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-07-15 |title=Polygamy |url=https://allaboutshias.com/polygamy-2/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=All About Shias |language=en-US}}</ref> Shia women are allowed to enter only one marriage at a time, whether temporary or permanent.
* [[Hinduism]] has varied views about sexuality,<ref name="columbia">Don S. Browning, Martha Christian Green, John Witte. Sex, marriage, and family in world religions. (2006) Columbia University Press. {{ISBN|0-231-13116-X}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=qkNE8pRQoboC&pg=PA227]</ref> but according to the [[Kama Sutra]], sex is considered as a normal activity that is necessary for a fulfilling and happy life.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sharma |first=Arvind |author-link=Arvind Sharma |date=1999 |title=The Puruṣārthas: An Axiological Exploration of Hinduism |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40018229 |journal=The Journal of Religious Ethics |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=223–256 |doi=10.1111/0384-9694.00016 |jstor=40018229 |issn=0384-9694}}</ref>
* [[Buddhist]] ethics, in its most general formulation, holds that one should neither be attached to nor crave sensual pleasure since it binds one to the cycle of birth and death, [[samsara]], and prevents one attaining the goal of [[Nirvana]]. Since Buddhist monastics (i.e. [[bhikshu]]s and [[bhikshuni]]s) are to be fully dedicated towards this goal, they undertake the training rule of total abstinence from sexual intercourse, i.e. of celibacy. Other monastic training rules from the Code of Discipline ([[Patimokkha]] or Pratimoksasutra) and canonical [[Vinaya]] scriptures are to prevent masturbation, lustfully touching and speaking to members of the other sex, and other forms of sexual behaviour. Buddhist lay people undertake the [[Five Precepts]], the third of which is avoiding sexual misconduct. [[Peter Harvey (academic)|Peter Harvey]] says that this precept "relates primarily to the avoidance of causing suffering by one's sexual behaviour. Adultery—'going with the wife of another'—is the most straightforward breach of this precept. The wrongness of this is seen as partly in terms of its being an expression of greed, and partly in terms of its harm to others. It is said that a man breaks the precept if he has intercourse with women who are engaged, or who are still protected by any relative, or young girls not protected by a relative, Clearly, rape and incest are breaches of the precept."<ref>[[Peter Harvey (academic)|Harvey, Peter]]. ''An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues''. Cambridge, 2000: 71-72.</ref> The Buddhist Canonical scriptures contain no other regulations or recommendations for lay people—for example, with regard to homosexuality, masturbation, sexual practices and contraceptives. However, in keeping with the Buddhist ethical principles of not-harming and avoiding shame, guilt and remorse, socially taboo forms of sexuality as well as obsessive sexual activities can also be seen as being included in the third precept. Later Buddhist authors such as [[Nagarjuna]] give various clarifications and recommendations.<ref>[[Peter Harvey (academic)|Harvey, Peter]]. ''An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics: Foundations, Values and Issues''. Cambridge, 2000: 71-74.</ref>
* In the [[Baháʼí Faith]], sexual relationships are permitted only between a husband and wife.<ref>Kenneth E. Bowers. God Speaks Again: An Introduction to the Baháʼí Faith. (2004) Baháʼí Publishing. {{ISBN|1-931847-12-6}}</ref>
* [[Unitarian Universalist]]s, with an emphasis on strong interpersonal ethics, do not place boundaries on the occurrence of sexual intercourse among consenting adults.<ref>[[John A. Buehrens]] and [[Forrest Church]]. A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism. (1998) Beacon Press. {{ISBN|0-8070-1617-9}}</ref>
* According to the [[Brahma Kumaris]] and [[Prajapita Brahma Kumaris]] religion, the power of [[lust]] is the root of all evil and worse than murder.<ref name="Liz_Hodgkinson_Peace">{{cite book | last = Hodgkinson | first = Liz | author-link = Liz Hodgkinson | title = Peace and Purity: The Story of the Brahma Kumaris a Spiritual Revolution | year = 2002 | publisher = HCI | isbn = 978-1-55874-962-7 | pages = 2–29}}</ref> Purity (celibacy) is promoted for peace and to prepare for life in forthcoming Heaven on earth for 2,500 years when children will be created by the power of the mind.<ref>Babb, Lawrence A. (1987). ''Redemptive Encounters: Three Modern Styles in the Hindu Tradition'' (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society). Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-7069-2563-7}}. "Sexual intercourse is unnecessary for reproduction because the souls that enter the world during the first half of the Cycle are in possession of a special yogic power (yog bal) by which they conceive children."</ref><ref>[[David V. Barrett|Barrett, David V]] (2001). The New Believers. Cassell & Co. pp. 265. {{ISBN|0-304-35592-5}}.</ref>
* [[Wicca]]ns are told, as declared within the [[Charge of the Goddess]], to "''[l]et [the Goddess'] worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are [the Goddess'] rituals.''" This statement appears to allow one freedom to explore sensuality and pleasure, and mixed with the final maxim within the [[Wiccan Rede]]—"''26. Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill—an' it harm none, do what ye will.''"<ref>[[Lady Gwen Thompson|Thompson, Lady Gwen]]; ''Wiccan-Pagan Potpourri''; Green Egg, №69; Ostara 1974</ref>—Wiccans are encouraged to be responsible with their sexual encounters, in whatever variety they may occur.<ref>[[Hans Holzer]]. The Truth about Witchcraft (1971) Doubleday. page 128. {{ISBN|0-09-004860-1}}</ref>
* [[Meher Baba]] maintained that "In the beginning of married life the partners are drawn to each other by lust as well as love; but with conscious and deliberate cooperation they can gradually lessen the element of lust and increase the element of love. Through this process of sublimation, lust ultimately gives place to deep love."<ref>[[Meher Baba|Baba, Meher]] (1995). ''Discourses''. Myrtle Beach: Sheriar Press. p. 109. {{ISBN|978-1-880619-09-4}}.</ref>

In some cases, the sexual intercourse between two people is seen as contrary to religious law or doctrine. In many religious communities, including the [[Catholic Church]] and [[Bhikkhu|Mahayana Buddhists]], religious leaders are expected to refrain from sexual intercourse in order to devote their full attention, energy, and loyalty to their religious duties.<ref>{{ill|William Skudlarek|de}}. Demythologizing Celibacy: Practical Wisdom from Christian and Buddhist Monasticism. (2008) Liturgical Press. {{ISBN|0-8146-2947-4}}</ref>