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Erogenous zones (eh-RAH-jen-us)  Areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to sexual stimulation.
Autoeroticism  Sexual self-stimulation; for example, masturbation.
Masturbation  Stimulation of one's own genitals with the hand or with some object, such as a pillow or vibrator.
Sexual fantasy  Sexual thoughts or images that alter the person's emotions or physiological state.
Dildo  A rubber or plastic cylinder, often shaped like a penis.
Coitus  Sexual intercourse; insertion of the penis into the vagina.
Cunnilingus (cun-ih-LING-us)  Mouth stimulation of the female genitals.
Fellatio (feh-LAY-shoh)  Mouth stimulation of the male genitals.
Sixty-nining  Simultaneous mouth-genital stimulation; also called soixante-neuf.
Anal intercourse  Insertion of the penis into the partner's rectum.
Anilingus (ay-nih-LING-us)  Mouth stimulation of the partner's anus.
Interfemoral intercourse  A sexual technique used by gay men in which one man moves his penis between the thighs of the other.
Tribadism (TRY-bad-izm)  A sexual technique used by lesbians in which one woman lies on top of another and moves rhythmically in order to produce sexual pleasure, particularly clitoral stimulation.
Aphrodisiac (ah-froh-DIZ-ih-ak)  A substance that increases sexual desire.
Anaphrodisiac (an-ah-froh-DIZ-ih-ak)  A substance that decreases sexual desire.
Self-disclosure  Telling personal things about yourself.
Intent  What the speaker means.
Impact  What someone else understands the speaker to mean.
Effective communicator  A communicator whose impact matches his or her intent.
"I'' language  Speaking for yourself, using the word "I''; not mind reading.
Mind reading  Making assumptions about what your partner thinks or feels.
Documenting  Giving specific examples of the issue being discussed.
Leveling  Telling your partner what you are feeling by stating your thoughts clearly, simply, and honestly.
Editing  Censoring or not saying things that would be deliberately hurtful to your partner or that are irrelevant.
Paraphrasing  Saying, in your own words, what you thought your partner meant.
Validation  Telling your partner that, given his or her point of view, you can see why he or she thinks a certain way.
Nonverbal communication  Communication not through words, but through the body, e.g., eye contact, tone of voice, touching.
Fighting fair  A set of rules designed to make arguments constructive rather than destructive.







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