Sex is one of the most common and overrated terms that is used today. To ask 'what is sex' is necessary though as it can mean different things to different people. If we talk of the process of sex, it is simply about people enjoying and indulging in an intimate session with their partner, which can include foreplay, cuddling sessions, kissing, hugging and penetration. For different kinds of sexual orientations, sex is different. Whether you are straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer or still questioning will determine what sex means and includes for you.One of the first things you need to learn while embarking on the journey of a better understanding of sex is to let go of all the taboos attached with the notion of having sex and embrace it as an act of love and passion. Different people have sex for different reasons-- for some engaging in sexual activity stems from innate attraction and lust, while for others it is a way of procreating. Similarly, some people may only enjoy physical intimacy with someone they deeply love. Hence, what sex means to you may heavily depend on what arouses you and what you like or dislike while engaging in any sexual activity. Remember the act of sex may be defined as intercourse, but it is not limited to "penetrative sex" or "coitus", rather it entails everything and anything that feels sexual in nature.If we look at the debilitating state of sex education in our country, the mundane and obvious question, what is sex, becomes pertinent and the most essential. Sex is an act of love, it is consensual and if either of the partners is not willing to indulge in it, it is not sex; it is rape. There are many dynamics to understand in sex, what it entails, all the questions that it arouses and about one’s sexual interests.Many a times, especially in the amateur years, it can be difficult to understand one’s feelings towards sex. Is it a subject that makes you uncomfortable? You don’t know what you may enjoy in sex? Are you really ready for sex? What is the right age to have sex the first time? Is sex painful? In an attempt to answer questions that pertain to the subject, we look at the subject and attempt answering all these questions.As mentioned above, sex can mean different things to different people. It can be affected by your brought up, your beliefs, your sexuality and even your gender as it is now a matter of study how men and women think of sex differently.A sexual act can involve many things besides vaginal sex and may not include vaginal sex at all. It involves everything and anything that feels sexual in nature, such as hugging, kissing, any touch that is sexual in nature, anal intercourse, oral sex, stripping in front of someone, so on and so forth. However, the act of sex by definition refers to the act of penetration, the intercourse. However, many LGBT activists are fighting against this definition as it is heteronormative.As said above, sex in itself is merely about the intercourse, the act of penetration. However, when we look at the types of sex, we usually mean the types of sexual activities, which can be of the following types.This is the heteronormative, straight sex, where a man penetrates his penis into the vagina of a woman. This is the most common type of sex as the majority of Indian population falls into the straight category. Although studies are claiming that all the women are either bisexual or gay but not straight, but the acknowledgment of the same is still very less.This refers to the act of stimulating the sexual organs of you partner orally, by swallowing or licking them. Oral sexual activity is not dependent on a particular sexual orientation and can be practised by partners of any sexual interest.This type of sex is illegal in India but still many people are trying it the backdoor way. It refers to penetrating a partner into their anus. Usually, anal sex is stereotyped for gay men, however, more and more women are also indulging in anal sex. The chances of infection in anal sex are higher and it carries multiple other risks with it. Read them here. (LINK).This form of sex does not involve penetration. It involves masturbating in front of your partner or helping him masturbate. This is the safest form of sexual activity as the risk of STDs, pregnancy or infections is non-existent.Sex has numerous health benefits. They are listed below:If you are sexually healthy and active, you will need lesser and lesser sick leaves. This is because sex is really helpful in boosting your immunity and your frequency of falling sick due to colds and coughs will decline. This is because when you have sex, you will higher levels of antibodies in your body. So as to strengthen your immunity, you must have sex once or twice in a week.Have hypertension? Have sex. This may sound the most bohemian piece of advice that you would have got so far but this is not without good reason. Research has suggested a link between regular sexual activity with lower blood pressure. A study showed that sex particularly, and not even masturbation, helped in lowering the systolic blood pressure.This is basically saying that practice makes a man perfect. The more sex you have, the more awesome it gets as it boosts your sexual libido. Particularly for women, when they have more sex, they have better vaginal lubrication, more elasticity and a boosted blood flow in their vaginal parts which makes sex better for them.Incontinence affects 30 per cent of women at some point in their lives. If they indulge in sex regularly, they can control their incontinence as it will work out their pelvic muscles. They are primarily strengthened by orgasms as when you orgasm, there are contractions in those muscles, which strengthen them in the process.Missed your workout today? Never mind. Have sex. This is because sex is an amazing form of exercise. Some positions which are difficult and require strength can burn up to 300 calories! Generally, it is believed that sex for a minute will burn five calories. This means a half an hour session can burn about 150 calories. Want to know which exercises are the best to burn more calories? Read them here. (LINK).A regular sexual activity will keep the hormones oestrogen and testosterone in control. When they are maintained in the right balance in your body, the chances of osteoporosis and heart disease are lowered. A study proved that when a man has sex twice a week, it reduced his chances of dying by a heart attack by half when compared to men who had sex very rarely.A study showed that men who ejaculated over 20 times a month, that is more than 5 times a week, were less likely to suffer from prostate cancer. This isn’t necessarily about sex though; the ejaculation could be a result of masturbation or even nocturnal emission.That is, if you orgasm. Orgasm is known as a natural pain blocker or killer as it releases a hormone that can raise the threshold of your pain. In fact, only if you vaginally stimulate yourself, it can also block the pain and reduce menstrual cramps, headaches, leg pain and even arthritic pain.Sex produces the feel-good hormones in your body, hence, reducing stress and releasing anxiety. It can even boost your intimacy with your partner and help increase your self-esteem.When you orgasm, the hormone called prolactin is released in your body. It can significantly relax you and help you doze off as soon as you have sex.Sex is a very strong means of bonding with your partner. Studies have shown that how after a couple has sex, their dependence on each other, their trust factor and intimacy boosts up.We often say that sex is not the long-term solution. Well, it may not be one but what if all you need right now is a short-term fix. There are many, many troublesome situations which sex can successfully help you get rid of. Read them here A blunder which many people commit is not indulging in foreplay at all or not for long enough before sex. Usually, it is stereotyped that it is only women who need to indulge in foreplay. However, that is not the case. Even men’s sex lives can significantly get better if they indulge in foreplay.Foreplay has many, many benefits. Not only foreplay leads to better sex, it is also a great physical as well emotional bonder. Studies have shown when you and your partner indulge in proper foreplay, it leads to longer sex and a better orgasm. In fact, even if you are masturbating, allowing yourself proper arousal is important as even then, it can impact the quality of your orgasm and overall satisfaction.There are things which men and women love in bed. If you do them the right way, chances are you will have the best sex life. Wondering what your guy likes and dislikes? Here’s a look at what you should and should not do if you are dating a man.Take charge and be direct. Men love it when their partners are all up for it and have the confidence to ask for it directly.Give him an eyeful. Men loves visuals and for them, visual arousal is as good as what they get.Be confident. We know that everyone has qualms about the way their bodies look. You may not be very confident about the scar at your back or about the hair on your thighs, but that’s only human. If you are confident, it will be all fine.Dominate your man. He loves it when you take charge of things.And most importantly, communicate about your fantasies. The more open you are about them, the more open he will be about them. When you both discuss about what you like and dislike, about what you would want and so on, sex will always be good.Don’t talk about babies. Sure, that may be what is going on in your mind but live in the moment and enjoy the act of sex rather than planning your family when you are better orgasming.Don’t refer to his penis as ‘cute’ because that may put him under pressure and can prove to be a big bummer.Don’t act bored or sleepy. He wants to see you interested in him.Don’t talk too much. This doesn’t mean that you need to control the sexual moaning but don’t talk about, let’s say, your best friend’s crush or why you hate your colleague.And remember, never fake orgasms.Now, we take a look at what women want and do not want in sex.You have to be verbal and swear and grunt. They love it.Use your hands and touch her everywhere. Focus on all the body parts and not just the two primary organs.Undress her. She likes it when you do it.Look her in the eye. Are you a ‘Game of Thrones’ fan? If you are, you will know how important it is to look in the eye when you have sex.Don’t treat her clitoris like you are trying to give her a hard friction. Be as gentle as you can.Make noise. Talk and be verbal. Instruct her about what you want and tell her if you like something.Don’t skip foreplay. You shouldn’t think that a ten-second kiss in enough to get the woman all flowy.Orgasms are the ends we try to strive for when we have sex. There are many, many benefits of orgasming and many of them have been mentioned above. However, it is important that you understand the types of orgasms and their uses.Orgasm can be explosive and implosive, that is, energy releasing and energy absorbing respectively. It is usually believed that men have explosive orgasms while women have implosive orgasms.The importance of orgasms can’t be undermined. From reducing stress, to building immunity and a better relationship, orgasm is a very powerful force. We did a feature on tantric orgasm and the benefits of an orgasm. You can read it here