Portal:Human sexuality

Monogamy (/məˈnɒɡəmi/ mə-NOG-ə-mee) is a form of relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime or at any one time (serial monogamy), as compared to polygamy or polyamory. The term is also applied to the social behavior of some animals, referring to the state of having only one mate at any one time.

It is important to have a clear understanding of the nomenclature of monogamy because scientists use the term monogamy for different relationships. Biologists, biological anthropologists, and behavioral ecologists often use the term monogamy in the sense of sexual, if not genetic, monogamy. Modern biological researchers using the theory of evolution approach human monogamy as the same in human and non-human animal species. They postulate the following four aspects of monogamy:

• Marital monogamy refers to marriages of only two people.
• Social monogamy refers to two partners living together, having sex with each other, and cooperating in acquiring basic resources such as shelter, food, and money.
• Sexual monogamy refers to two partners remaining sexually exclusive with each other and having no outside sex partners.
• Genetic monogamy refers to sexually monogamous relationships with genetic evidence of paternity.

When cultural or social anthropologists and other social scientists use the term monogamy, the meaning is social or marital monogamy. Marital monogamy may be further distinguished between:

1. marriage once in a lifetime;
2. marriage with only one person at a time, in contrast to bigamy or polygamy;
3. and serial monogamy, remarriage after death or divorce.

Human monogamy's legal aspects are taught at faculties of law. There are also philosophical aspects in the field of interest of e.g. philosophical anthropology and philosophy of religion, as well as theological ones. (Full article...)

• ... that sex therapy pioneer Helen Singer Kaplan advocated for people to enjoy sexual intercourse as much as possible as opposed to seeing it as something dirty or harmful?
• ... that the five victims of the Ipswich serial murders (one site bodies were discovered, pictured) are the subject of the 2010 BBC One drama serial Five Daughters?
• ... that according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, deer penis is said to enhance virility in men, and was added to the list of banned substances during the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
• ... that a drawing resembling a penis by Andy Warhol may be on the moon?
• ... that the Church of La Soledad (pictured) in Mexico City has been the site for an annual commemoration for sex workers?

March - August 2010

24 September 2024 – Recognition of same-sex unions in Thailand

Thailand passes the marriage equality law allowing same-sex couples to be legally wed starting in January 2025. (AP)

17 September 2024 – LGBT rights in Georgia

The Parliament of Georgia approves a law on "family values and the protection of minors" that would restrict LGBTQ+ rights in the country. (DW)

13 September 2024 – Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal

Seven men receive prison sentences ranging from six to 25 years for sexual offences against girls aged 11 to 16 that occurred in the town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Northern England from the late 1980s until 2013. (BBC News)

11 September 2024 –

Malaysian police rescue 400 minors suspected of being sexually abused at Islamic charity homes linked to Al-Arqam. (Reuters)

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