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The definition of sex has never been totally clear, and with indefinite terms like "hooking up" the lines are increasingly blurred. While some classify any type of foreplay using sexual parts as "sex," others will only label intercourse with actual penetration as "sex." But would this include anal sex or lovemaking between two lesbians?
"Sex is a word and nobody is really in charge of that term," says Kinsey Institute scientist Erick Janssen. "In a way, our thinking of sex and definitions of sex is more complex than they were in the past."
A study conducted in 1991 that surveyed 599 college students, found that 37% of women considered oral sex to be "sex," as opposed to 44% of men. In a 1996 survey, those stats rose to 46% and 52% respectively. "These data make it clear that general agreement regarding what constitutes having 'had sex' and how sexual partners counted cannot be taken for granted," concluded Kinsey researchers Stephanie Sanders and June Reinisch.
According to a book by Australian sex researchers, "touching blow the waist" constitute getting to third base in the 1960s. Now second base implies touching whereas third base usually denotes oral sex.
Whether you consider "sex" to be oral, anal or vaginal intercourse or even mutual masturbation one thing is for sure: participating in any of these behaviors with someone besides your spouse is cheating. Politicians are great public speakers and thus can be very sneaky in finessing and manipulating their words to avoid trouble, but we all know when they admit to a "hookup" that none of it was kosher.
How would you define the bases these days? What do you think is constitutes "sex"? [AP]
