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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine pp 1773–1774Cite as

Sexual Behavior

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Synonyms

Sex; Sexual activity

Definition

There is a diverse array of activities that can be classified as sexual behavior: masturbation, oral-genital stimulation (oral sex), penile-vaginal intercourse (vaginal sex), and anal stimulation or anal intercourse. Sexual behaviors may also include activities to arouse the sexual interest of others or attract partners. Individuals engage in sexual behaviors for a variety of reasons, differ in their acceptability based on societal norms, and change across the lifespan.

Description

What is Sexual Behavior: Types of Sexual Behaviors

Sexual behavior includes a wide variety of activities individuals engage in to express their sexuality (Crooks & Baur, 2008). Abstinence and celibacy are terms used for individuals who do not engage in certain or any sexual behaviors. Kissing and touching are sexual behaviors that stimulate the erogenous zones of one’s partner. Masturbation is a sexual behavior referring to stimulation of one’s genitals to create...

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References and Readings

  • Crooks, R., & Baur, K. (2008). Our sexuality (10th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Dr. Jennifer L. Brown

Authors
  1. Dr. Jennifer L. Brown
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer L. Brown .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

  2. Cardiovascular Safety, Quintiles, Durham, NC, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York

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Brown, J.L. (2013). Sexual Behavior. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_667

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_667

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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