Sexuality in Adulthood

There have always been means of trying to prevent pregnancy. From herbal applications to understanding the cycles of the moon and fertility, to sexual positions and praying, men and women have sought to engage in sexual intercourse without consequent pregnancy. Diaphragms, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and condoms have been available for a long time. However, these do not always work, can inhibit spontaneity, and therefore are not always used. It was not until the development of the contraceptive pill that women were able to take real control of reproduction (Abramson and Pinkerton 1995; Francoeur 1987; Montague 1969). Women could be sexually active without worrying about pregnancy. Couples could plan when to have a family and could engage in intercourse without being concerned about the time of the month. Of course a woman had to remember to take the pill for it to be effective. As with diaphragms and condoms it only works if you use it. There was also the possibility of side effects. These had to be taken into consideration when deciding what form, if any, of contraception would be used.

Of course not everyone who is sexually active worries about getting pregnant nor sees sexual activity as a means of reproduction. There is a bias, in Western culture in particular, of viewing sex and sexual intercourse as synonymous (Abramson and Pinkerton 1995; Aiken 1998; Tuttle 1984). The fact that foreplay is the prelude to intercourse is a prevalent notion. But what some may consider foreplay may be the mainstay of sexual expression for others and intercourse does not always involve a man and a woman.