Basic Types of Sexual  Behavior

2. Heterosexual Intercourse: Genital Intercourse

A Note of Caution

HIV/AIDS risk Casual partners may be infected with HIV/AIDS without knowing it. Therefore, unprotected vaginal intercourse with them carries a high risk of infection, especially for the “receiving” partner. Courtesy BZgA, Cologne

In view of the current HIV/AIDS pandemic and the world-wide increase of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), both females and males should understand the risk of infection through vaginal intercourse (coitus) with casual, new, and unfamiliar partners. Even familiar partners may unknowingly have become infected if they, in turn, had casual partners. The risk is greater for the female partners receiving possibly infected semen. (This means, among other things, that female prostitutes run a greater risk of becoming infected through their male customers, than vice versa.) The male partners run a lower risk from infected vaginal fluid or menstrual blood, but they are also well advised to use a condom. World-wide, vaginal intercourse is now the main path of HIV/AIDS transmission.