Outercourse: Top Five Facts

1. What is it? Outercourse, also called non-penetrative sex, basically means sex without penetration. So no penis entering the vagina or anus. For some people outercourse also means no oral sex. While outercoursing, if we may say, couples experiment with kissing in different ways, mutual masturbation, rubbing against each others bodies, watching erotic films together or using sex toys.So what’s the difference between this and ‘foreplay’. Well no difference – just that with what people call foreplay, you go on to have intercourse. Foreplay is the starter, intercourse is the main dish. With outercourse, all the other ways to make love are the main dish.
2. Why people do it Some use outercourse as a form of birth control or to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases (we'll discuss more about this in Fact #3). For couples who are just starting a relationship and not ready to go all the way, outercourse can be a comfortable way to explore each other’s' bodies instead of ‘just doing it’. Of course both men and women can have great orgasms just with outercourse. And remember, only about a third of all women regularly have an orgasm with intercourse. So for them, outercourse is likely to hit the spot!
3. Low risk As the name suggests, non-penetrative sex means sex without penetration. For heterosexual couples, it means the semen doesn't get inside the vagina, so there's no risk of pregnancy. Similarly, no exchange of body fluids means reduced risk of contracting and passing on sexually transmitted diseases.
4. Caution That however doesn't make outercourse entirely foolproof. If the penis is rubbed close to the vagina there’s a chance that sperm cells could be released early, come in contact with the outer labia, make their way inside the vagina, travel all the way up and manage to fertilise an egg, leading to pregnancy. After all, it only takes one!The slightest exchange of body fluids also exposes you to the risk of STDs. And a lot of couples find it hard to hold back from intercourse when they are so close to it. That's why it's best to use a condom while having outercourse to be sure that you aren't taking any risks – especially for oral sex on a guy. For oral sex on a girl, you can use a ‘dental dam’ or a square cut from a condom to cover the vagina.
5. Benefits Outercourse is one of the safest ways to make love. It has no medical or hormonal side effects as a method of birth control. It also minimises the risk of STDs. Not only that, it also increases mutual trust and intimacy between partners and prepares them for intercourse. And when you're caught in a steamy, sexy situation without any contraceptives, outercourse is definitely the best way to go!

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Gayatri Parameswaran is a multi-award winning writer, director and producer of immersive media works. She was born and raised in India and is currently based in Berlin, where she co-founded NowHere Media - a storytelling studio that views contemporary issues through a critical lens. She also edited the Love Matters website in its initial years. Check out more about her here.