Editing Human sexual activity (section)

===General attitudes===

[[Alex Comfort]] and others propose three potential social aspects of sexual intercourse in humans, which are not mutually exclusive: reproductive, relational, and recreational.<ref>''[[The Joy of Sex]]'' A Gourmet Guide to Lovemaking (1972) by [[Alex Comfort]]. See also {{ISBN|1-4000-4614-9}}.</ref> The development of [[Combined oral contraceptive pill|the contraceptive pill]] and other highly effective forms of [[contraception]] in the mid- and late 20th century has increased people's ability to segregate these three functions, which still overlap a great deal and in complex patterns. For example: A fertile couple may have intercourse while using contraception to experience sexual pleasure (recreational) and also as a means of emotional intimacy (relational), thus deepening their bonding, making their relationship more stable and more capable of sustaining children in the future (deferred reproductive). This same couple may emphasize different aspects of intercourse on different occasions, being playful during one episode of intercourse (recreational), experiencing deep emotional connection on another occasion (relational), and later, after discontinuing contraception, seeking to achieve pregnancy (reproductive, or more likely reproductive and relational).{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}