Sexual penetration is the insertion of a body part or other object into a
body orifice
A body orifice is any opening in the body of an animal.
External
In a typical mammalian body such as the human body, the external body orifices are:
* The nostrils, for breathing and the associated sense of smell
* The mouth, for eating, brea ...
, such as the
mouth,
vagina
In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...
or
anus, as part of
human sexual activity
Human sexual activity, human sexual practice or human sexual behaviour is the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts, ranging from activities done alone (e.g., masturbation) t ...
or
animal sexual behavior
Animal sexual behaviour takes many different forms, including within the same species. Common mating or reproductively motivated systems include monogamy, polygyny, polyandry, polygamy and promiscuity. Other sexual behaviour may be reproduc ...
.
The term is most commonly used in
statute law
Statutory law or statute law is written law passed by a body of legislature. This is opposed to oral or customary law; or regulatory law promulgated by the executive or common law of the judiciary. Statutes may originate with national, state leg ...
in the context of proscribing certain sexual activities. Terms such as "
sexual intercourse" or "
carnal knowledge
Carnal knowledge is an archaic or legal euphemism for sexual intercourse. In modern statutes, the term " sexual penetration" is widely used, though with various definitions.
Biblical source
The term derives from ''carnal'', meaning "of the fles ...
" are more commonly found in older statutes, while many modern
criminal statutes use the term "sexual penetration" because it is a broad term encompassing (unless otherwise qualified) any form of penetrative sexual activity, including
digital (i.e., the
finger
A finger is a limb of the body and a type of digit, an organ of manipulation and sensation found in the hands of most of the Tetrapods, so also with humans and other primates. Most land vertebrates have five fingers ( Pentadactyly). Chambers ...
s) or with an object, and may involve only the most minimal penetration. Some jurisdictions refer to some forms of penetration as "acts of
indecency
Inappropriateness refers to standards or ethics that are typically viewed as being negative in a society. It differs from things that are illicit in that inappropriate behavior does not necessarily have any accompanying legal ramifications.
C ...
", or other terminology.
Definitions
When a
penis
A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...
is inserted into a vagina, it is generally called vaginal sex, vaginal intercourse,
or penis-in-vagina (PIV) sex. When a penis penetrates another person's
anus, it is called
anal sex or anal intercourse.
Penetrative
oral sex
Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex p ...
may involve penetration of the mouth by a penis (
fellatio
Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act involving a person stimulating the penis of another person by using the mouth, throat, or both. Oral stimulation of the scrotu ...
) or the use of the tongue to penetrate a vagina or
vulva
The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external female sex organs. The vulva includes the mons pubis (or mons veneris), labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, vestibular bulbs, vulv ...
(
cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed by a person on the vulva or vagina of another person. The clitoris is the most sexually sensitive part of the human female genitalia, and its stimulation may result in a woman becoming sexually aroused ...
). The tongue may also penetrate the anus during
anilingus, which is a form of oral and anal sex. If one or more fingers are used to penetrate an orifice, it is called
fingering or digital penetration. The insertion of an object, such as a
dildo
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for sexual penetration or other sexual activity during masturbation or with sex partners. Dildos can be made from a number of materials and shaped like an erect human p ...
,
vibrator or other
sex toy
A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate human sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and may be vibrating or non-vibratin ...
, into a person's genital area or anus may also be considered sexual penetration.
Unlawful
Penetrative
sex crimes
Sex and the law deals with the regulation by law of human sexual activity. Sex laws vary from one place or jurisdiction to another, and have varied over time. Unlawful sexual acts are called sex crimes.
Some laws regarding sexual activity are ...
are generally considered more serious than
non-penetrative sex
Non-penetrative sex or outercourse is sexual activity that usually does not include sexual penetration. It generally excludes the penetrative aspects of vaginal, anal, or oral sexual activity, but includes various forms of sexual and non-sex ...
crimes, and sexual penetration of a child even more so. A child below the statutory
age of consent cannot consent to acts involving sexual penetration. In laws, the term ''sexual penetration'' is commonly used in relation to sex with children. Unlawful sexual penetration is generally an offense irrespective of how deep the penetration was and irrespective of whether
ejaculation
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract as a result of an orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential compone ...
of semen took place.
Laws may distinguish particular forms of sexual penetration as part of the offense. For example, the law in the U.S. state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
provides:
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, sexually penetrating
a relative is an offense.
Sexual Offences Act 2003
retrieved 24 February 2012
Various forms of penetration have at times been considered obscene
An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be us ...
and been prohibited. Works containing such penetrations may be considered pornography.
See also
* Sex and the law
References
{{Human sexuality
Sexual acts