Glossary of terms

Plain definitions of terms used across this encyclopedia. Where a term is contested or used differently by different communities, that is noted.

Anatomy

Bartholin's glands — paired glands near the vaginal opening that contribute to lubrication. Clitoris — the organ whose visible glans is a small part of a structure roughly 9–11 cm long, including body, crura and vestibular bulbs. Corpus cavernosum — paired erectile chambers in the penis and clitoris. Frenulum — the sensitive band on the underside of the penis below the glans, or under the tongue or clitoral hood. Front hole — a term some trans men and non-binary people use for the vagina. Glans — the head of the clitoris or penis. Perineum — the area between the genitals and the anus. Prostate — gland below the bladder, palpable through the anterior rectal wall; contributes to semen and is a source of sensation for many. Skene's glands — paraurethral glands, sometimes called the female prostate. Vestibule — the area inside the inner labia containing the urethral and vaginal openings. Vulva — the external genitals. Not a synonym for vagina, which is the internal canal.

Consent and safety

Affirmative consent — freely given, informed, specific, reversible agreement, present as a yes. Aftercare — deliberate physical and emotional care after intense experience. Capacity — the ability to understand, retain, weigh and communicate a decision. Coercion — pressure that removes real choice; invalidates consent. Drop — a delayed emotional and physical low 24–72 hours after intense experience. Enthusiastic consent — consent that is actively wanted, not merely permitted. Hard limit — an absolute no, not open to negotiation. Safeword — an agreed word that immediately stops or slows activity, commonly red, yellow, green. Soft limit — a conditional no: not now, not that way, or only under stated conditions. Stealthing — removing or damaging a condom without the partner's knowledge; a consent violation and a criminal offence in a growing number of jurisdictions. Tonic immobility — involuntary paralysis under extreme fear; documented in a majority of assault presentations in some studies.

Health

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) — overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria disrupting vaginal flora; not an STI. Doxy-PEP — doxycycline taken within 72 hours of condomless sex to reduce bacterial STIs. Dyspareunia — pain during intercourse. GSM — genitourinary syndrome of menopause: tissue thinning, dryness and urinary symptoms from low oestrogen. NAAT — nucleic acid amplification test, the standard test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea. PEP — post-exposure prophylaxis; a 28-day antiretroviral course started within 72 hours of HIV exposure. PrEP — pre-exposure prophylaxis; antiretroviral medication preventing HIV acquisition. Serodiscordant / serodifferent — partners with different HIV status. U=U — Undetectable equals Untransmittable: an undetectable viral load means HIV is not sexually transmissible. Vaginismus — involuntary pelvic floor contraction preventing penetration. Vulvodynia — persistent vulval pain without an identifiable cause. Window period — the interval after exposure before a test reliably detects infection.

Response and function

Anorgasmia — difficulty or inability to reach orgasm. Arousal non-concordance — mismatch between genital response and subjective desire; normal and well documented. Dual control model — sexual response as the balance of excitation and inhibition systems. Refractory period — the interval after orgasm before another is possible. Responsive desire — desire that emerges after arousal begins, rather than preceding it. Sensate focus — staged non-demand touching used in sex therapy. Spectatoring — self-monitoring during sex; a documented predictor of dysfunction. Spontaneous desire — desire arising without a prompt.

Identity and orientation

Aromantic — experiencing little or no romantic attraction. Asexual — experiencing little or no sexual attraction. A spectrum; distinct from celibacy and from low libido. Cisgender — gender identity matching sex assigned at birth. Demisexual — experiencing sexual attraction only after an emotional bond forms. Intersex — born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary definitions. Non-binary — a gender identity outside the man/woman binary. Pansexual — attraction regardless of gender. Queer — a reclaimed umbrella term; some find it affirming, some find it a slur. Follow the person's own usage. Transgender — gender identity differing from sex assigned at birth.

Practices and structures

Aftercare — see Consent and safety. BDSM — bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. Compersion — pleasure at a partner's happiness with another partner. Consensual non-monogamy (CNM) — any structure where all involved agree connections may extend beyond the couple. Kink — sexual practices outside conventional norms; not a diagnosis. Pegging — anal penetration of a partner using a strap-on. Polyamory — multiple simultaneous romantic relationships with everyone's knowledge. RACK — Risk-Aware Consensual Kink. Relationship anarchy — rejecting fixed hierarchy between relationships. Rimming — oral–anal contact. SSC — Safe, Sane and Consensual. Subspace / topspace — altered states during intense play, associated with measurable neuroendocrine change. Switch — someone who takes both dominant and submissive roles. Vanilla — non-kink sexual practice. Descriptive, not pejorative.

Sources

• Definitions cross-checked against: WHO sexual health terminology; CDC STI treatment guidelines; BASHH UK national guidelines; ISSVD terminology for vulval pain; WPATH Standards of Care version 8; DSM-5-TR and ICD-11; and the primary literature cited in the linked articles.

Last reviewed: August 2026.