How do you have sex?

Sexual intercourse is sometimes called making love or having sex. It is when a man's hard penis goes inside a woman's vagina. If a man and woman are having sexual intercourse, then using a contraceptive properly, every time, will prevent the woman becoming pregnant. There is more information on the contraceptive page.

If two people have sexual intercourse, and one of them has a sexual infection, they could pass it on the other person. These infections are sometimes called sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or diseases (STDs). Using a condom is the best way to prevent any infection from being passed from one person to the other.

Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman starts with them both getting sexually excited. This is sometimes referred to as foreplay, and might involve kissing and cuddling, touching each other and other sexual activities. Foreplay is important as it means a woman's vagina begins to get moist and a man gets an erection. If the woman's vagina does not get moist enough, then having sexual intercourse could be difficult or painful for her.

If a couple are going to use a condom for protection against pregnancy or infections, they should put it on the man's penis as soon as he gets an erection. Some men say they worry about using condoms in case they lose their erection or have difficulty putting the condom on. You could get some condoms and practice beforehand. Condoms come with instructions in words and pictures which show exactly how to use them.

After the condom is on, the man or woman can guide his penis into her vagina. The couple then move their bodies so that his penis moves up and down inside her vagina. This usually rubs the penis and makes the man sexually excited so that he has an orgasm. The movement might rub the woman's clitoris too so she can have an orgasm. But this depends on the position the couple are in when they have sexual intercourse.