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sexual intercourse

or coitus or copulation

Act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract (see reproductive system). Various sexual activities (foreplay) lead to physiological changes that progress to orgasm (climax) and resolution (see sexual response). If it is completed, semen passes from the male into the female's body. If conditions favour fertilization, a sperm joins with an egg, and pregnancy begins (see fertility; reproduction); contraception can prevent this. Intercourse with an unwilling female is rape. Seealso reproductive behaviour; sexuality, human; sexually transmitted disease.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

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sodomy

Noncoital carnal copulation. Sodomy is a crime in some jurisdictions. Some sodomy laws, particularly in Middle Eastern countries and those jurisdictions observing Sharīaynah law, provide penalties as severe as life imprisonment for homosexual intercourse, even if the relations are between legally consenting adults. Other sodomy laws proscribe a variety of other forms of sexual contact and apply even to married couples. No such regulations are found in the law codes of Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden, The Netherlands, or Switzerland, among other countries.The Wolfenden committee in Britain and the American Law Institute recommended abolition of criminal penalties for sodomy, except in cases involving violence, children, or public solicitation. This position was adopted in England in 1967 and has been adopted in many U.S. states as well.

Learn more about sodomy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Intercourse, Pennsylvania

Intercourse, Pennsylvania (pop. roughly 1,000) is an unincorporated village in Leacock Township, Lancaster County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is ten miles east of Lancaster along PA 340. The village is located within the 17534 ZIP code, 717 area code, and 768 local phone code.

As with the nearby towns of Blue Ball and Paradise, Pennsylvania, Intercourse is a popular site for tourists on account of its location in "Amish country". Its name has acquired sexual connotations unrelated to the reasons the village was named. Sign posts for the town are frequently targeted by thieves.

Besides its name, Intercourse is also famous for its Amish communities. For this reason the movie Witness was filmed in Intercourse and For Richer or Poorer was set there, though not filmed in Intercourse.

Economy

Tourism and farmland are major industries in the town. Small businesses sell Amish crafts, food, and give horse and buggy rides. The town thrives on thousands of tourists that visit the region each year. Most of the land surrounding the town is farmland.

History

Intercourse was founded in 1754. The community was originally named Cross Keys, after a local tavern. Intercourse became the name in 1814, and there are various theories to explain this; one possibility is that the name derived from a race course, the "Entercourse", which was located along Old Philadelphia Pike just outside of town. The village website gives some other theories for the origins of the name.

"Another theory concerns two famous roads that crossed here. The Old King's highway from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (now the Old Philadelphia Pike) ran east and west through the center of the town. The road from Wilmington to Erie intersected in the middle. The joining of these two roads is claimed by some to be the basis for the town 'Cross Keys' or eventually 'Intercourse'. A final idea comes from the use of language during the early days of the Village. The word 'intercourse' was commonly used to describe the 'fellowship' and 'social interaction and support' shared in the community of faith, which was much a part of a rural village like this one."

While it may seem attractive to some to misconstrue "intercourse" in its more base sexual form, this has nothing to do with the origins of the village name.