Tribadism: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 17:36, 21 May 2013

An illustration of two women engaged in the missionary position of tribadism and rubbing vulvas, one of the various positions in which a woman rubs her vulva against her partner's body for the purpose of sexual pleasure.

Tribadism (/ˈtrɪbədɪzəm/ TRIB-ə-diz-əm)^[1] or tribbing, commonly known by its scissoring position, is a form of non-penetrative sex in which a woman rubs her vulva against her partner's body for sexual stimulation, especially for ample stimulation of the clitoris. This may involve female-to-female genital contact or a female rubbing her vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or other body part (excluding the mouth).^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] A variety of sex positions are practiced, including the missionary position.^[6]^[7]

The term is usually used in the context of lesbian sex, and originally encompassed societal beliefs about women's capability of being penetrative sexual partners.^[2]^[8]^[9] Women accused of having been penetrative during sexual activity were subject to ridicule or punishment.^[2]^[9]^[10] In modern times, the term refers to various forms of frottage between women without any negative connotations. It may also involve vaginal penetration by use of the fingers, a dildo or double penetration dildo,^[5]^[9] or refer to a masturbation technique in which a woman rubs her vulva against an inanimate object such as a bolster to achieve orgasm.

History and culture

Etymology and usage

The term tribadism derives from the Greek word τριβάς (tribas), "a woman who practises unnatural vice with herself or with other women",^[11] which derives from the verb τρίβω (tribō), "rub".^[12] In ancient Greek and Roman sexuality, a tribas, or tribade (IPA:/ˈtrɪbəd/ /tribad/),^[13] was a woman or intersex individual who actively penetrated another person (male or female) through use of the clitoris or a dildo. This did not begin to refer exclusively to eroticism between women until Late Antiquity.^[2]^[9] Because penetration was viewed as "male-defined" sexuality, a tribas was considered the most vulgar lesbian.^[8]^[9]^[14]^[15] The Greeks and Romans recognized same-sex attraction, but as any sexual act was believed to require that one of the partners be "phallic" and that therefore sex between women was impossible without this feature, popular mythology pictured lesbians as either having enlarged clitorises or as incapable of sexual enjoyment without the substitution of a phallus.^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19] This appears in Greek and Latin satires as early as the late first century.^[14]

In English texts, tribade is recorded as early as 1601, in Ben Jonson's Praeludium (Poem X in The Forest),^[2] to as late as the mid-nineteenth century; it was the most common lesbian term in European texts,^[14] through the proliferation of classical literature, anatomies, midwiferies, sexual advice manuals, and pornography.^[2] It also came to refer to lesbian sexual practices in general, though anatomical investigation in the mid-eighteenth century led to skepticism about stories of enlarged clitorises and anatomists and doctors argued for a more precise distinction between clitoral hypertrophy and hermaphroditism.^[2] "More often, however, [European] writers avoided the term, instead euphemistically invoking 'unnatural vice,' 'lewd behavior,' 'crimes against nature,' 'using an instrument,' and 'taking the part of a man.'"^[2] In the eighteenth century, where the term saw one of its most popular uses, it was employed in several pornographic libels against Marie Antoinette, who was "tried and roundly convicted in the press" as being a tribade.^[2]^[10] "[Her] rumored tribadism had historically specific political implications," stated author Dena Goodman. "Consider her final (fictive) testimony in The Confession of Marie-Antoinette: 'People!' she protests, 'because I ceded to the sweet impressions of nature, and in imitating the charming weakness of all the women of the court of France, I surrendered to the sweet impulsion of love...you hold me, as it were, captive within your walls?'" Goodman elaborated that in one libel, Marie-Antoinette is described as generously providing details of her husband's "incapacity in the venereal act" and that her lust resulted in her taking La Jule de Polignac "into [her] service" and later specifying that what makes sex with a woman so appealing is "Adroit in the art of stimulating the clitoris"; Marie-Antoinette is described stating that La Polignac's attentions produced "one of those rare pleasures that cannot be used up because it can be repeated as many times as one likes".^[10]

"By the Victorian era, tribadism tended to be constructed as a lower class and non-Western phenomenon and often was associated with the supposed degeneration of prostitutes and criminals," stated author Bonnie Zimmerman. By the twentieth century, "tribade had been supplanted" by the terms sapphist, lesbian, invert, and homosexual, as tribade had become too archaic to use.^[2] Fricatrice, a synonym for tribade that also refers to rubbing but has a Latin rather than a Greek root, appeared in English texts as early as 1605 (in Ben Jonson's Volpone).^[20] Its usage suggests that it was more colloquial and more pejorative than tribade.^[20] Variants include the Latinized confricatrice and English rubster.^[2]^[20]

Sexual practices

Sex positions and other aspects

Tribadism is a common sexual practice among women who have sex with women (WSW).^[5]^[21]^[22]^[23] Although the term is often applied to the act of vulva-to-vulva stimulation,^[5]^[24] it encompasses a variety of sexual activity. In addition to the "scissoring" position, which involves the partners interlocking their legs in a position similar to the shape of scissors and pressing their vulvas together, tribadism may involve a missionary position, a woman on top position, a doggy style position or others,^[6]^[7] or simple movement of the woman's vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or another body part.^[3]^[7]^[25] Vaginal penetration by use of the fingers or by use of a dildo may be accompanied, and so sometimes "mutuality and reciprocation tend not to be the main objective, although satisfaction for both partners through different means most definitely is its aim".^[9] Women who enjoy or prefer tribadism report enjoyment of whole-body contact, the experience of timing hip movement and feeling their partner's motions without manual stimulation, which is considered exciting, erotic and a much easier way to achieve orgasm due to ample clitoral stimulation.^[3]^[7]^[25]

An illustration of two women engaged in the "scissoring" position, a position debated among lesbians.^[26]^[27]^[28]

Some lesbian and bisexual women do not engage in the "scissoring" position; this may be because they find it uncomfortable, because they object to the act and feel that it is not representative of lesbian sexual practices and is more attributable to the male fantasies of the heterosexual porn industry, or simply because it is not a part of their sex lives.^[26]^[27]^[29] The Raw Story states, "Whether [the scissoring position] describes a traditional or even common lesbian act remains up for debate."^[28] Some sources, however, such as Shere Hite's 1976 and 1981 research, show that women may enjoy performing the scissoring position with other women because it is a variation of vulva-to-vulva contact or can allow for maximum vulva-to-vulva contact and therefore an elevated level of intimacy.^[6]^[7]

"Scissoring" is commonly used as an umbrella term for all forms of tribadism,^[30] and many lesbian and bisexual women are unaware that some of the sexual acts they include in their lovemaking are aspects of and are formally labeled tribadism, as tribadism is commonly omitted from mainstream sex research.^[9]^[31] Judith Halberstam, in her book Female Masculinity, stated, "If we trace the use of the term forward into present, we find that tribadism is one of those rarely discussed but often practiced sexual activities, and the silence that surrounds it now is as puzzling as the discourse it produced in earlier centuries." She added that Sigmund Freud "had nothing to say" on the subject, "and few contemporary lesbian sex books even discuss it".^[9]

According to older studies, approximately one-third of lesbian women used tribadism, or body contact, as a means of achieving orgasm (Saghir & Robins, 1973; Jay & Young, 1977).^[23] Masters and Johnson's 1979 study on lesbian sexual practices found that vaginal penetration with dildos is rare, and that lesbians tend to do more overall genital stimulation than direct clitoral stimulation, which is also often the case for heterosexual relationships.^[22] In 1987, a non-scientific study (Munson) was conducted of more than 100 members of a lesbian social organization in Colorado. When asked what techniques they used in their last 10 lovemaking sessions, 100% were for kissing, sucking on nipples, and manual stimulation of the clitoris; more than 90% reported French kissing, oral sex, and fingers inserted into the vagina; and 80% reported tribadism.^[5]

In 2003, Bailey et al. published data based on a sample from the United Kingdom of 803 lesbian and bisexual women attending two London lesbian sexual health clinics and 415 women who have sex with women from a community sample; the study reported that 85% of the women engaged in tribadism (whether genital-to-genital contact or rubbing genitals against another part of a partner's body), and, like older studies, that vaginal penetration with dildos or such penetration with other sex toys among women who have sex with women are rare.^[21]

Safe sex

As with any exchange of bodily fluids during sexual activities, genital-to-genital tribadism has the potential to transfer sexually transmitted infections (STIs/STDs) if those are present in one or more of the partners. AIDS.gov and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health state that genital-genital and genital-body contact can spread STIs such as HPV, pubic lice (crabs) and herpes and that "wearing clothes and for herpes, avoiding contact if sores are present, reduces the risks".^[32]^[33] Other safe sex options, such as use of a dental dam or a cut-open condom, may also be practiced.^[21]^[32]^[34]^[35] However, there "is no good evidence" that using a dental dam reduces STI transmission risks; studies show that using a dental dam as a protection barrier is rarely practiced, and that, among [women who have sex with women], this may be because the individuals have "limited knowledge about the possibilities of STI transmission or [feel] less vulnerable to STIs [such as HIV]".^[21] For further safe sex precautions, the American Family Physician advises lesbian and bisexual women to avoid unprotected contact with a sexual partner's menstrual blood and with any visible genital lesions.^[35]

In popular culture and other media

Tribadism has been referenced in various aspects of popular culture. The glam pop band Scissor Sisters derived their name from the scissoring position.^[36]^[37] Jake Shears of the group stated that while many of their songs have gay themes, they do not want to be labeled a gay band; they "are first and foremost a pop band".^[36] Other bands named after tribadism include lesbian punk band Tribe 8 and all-male group Scissorfight.^[38]

Genital-genital tribadism was depicted three times during the "D-Yikes!" episode of the cartoon South Park, referred to in the episode as scissoring. The episode is credited with having popularized the term scissoring,^[26]^[28] with The Raw Story stating, "Though the band 'Scissor Sisters' takes its name from descriptions of the act, it wasn't until scissoring was dramatized in the 2007 'South Park' epis[o]de 'D-Yikes' that it achieved wide recognition in mainstream culture."^[28] The term additionally received mainstream recognition after the episode "Duets" of the television series Glee had characters Santana Lopez and Brittany S. Pierce reference scissoring while making out. The scene received some criticism for possibly being inappropriate for children.^[39]^[40]

In 2010, in response to California State University, Long Beach refusing to advertise the play "The Night of the Tribades" on the Seventh Street marquee because of the word "tribades" in its title, approximately 24 theater arts majors protested in front of Brotman Hall by simulating tribadism (including scissoring). "When you put tribade into a Google search image, apparently it comes up with the word tribadism, which is a sex act and they decided it was inappropriate," stated one student.^[30]

Among female bonobos

Female-female genital sex is not exclusive to humans. Females of the bonobo species, found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also engage in this act, usually known as GG rubbing (genito-genital).^[41]^[42] "Perhaps the bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate, is genito-genital rubbing (or GG rubbing) between adult females. One female facing another clings with arms and legs to a partner that, standing on both hands and feet, lifts her off the ground."^[41]

In bonobos, the clitoris is larger and more externalized than in most mammals.^[43] Bonobos rub their clitorises together rapidly for ten to twenty seconds, and this behavior, "which may be repeated in rapid succession, is usually accompanied by grinding, shrieking, and clitoral engorgement"; on average, female bonobos engage in genital-genital rubbing "about once every two hours".^[43]

References

^ Gould, George M. (1936). Gould's Pocket Medical Dictionary (10th rev. ed.). P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Ltd.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Bonnie Zimmerman (2000). Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia (Volume 1). Taylor & Francis. pp. 776–777. ISBN 0-8153-1920-7,. Retrieved February 29, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Kathy Belge What is Tribadism?, accessed December 19, 2010.
^ Cathy Winks and Anne Semans (2002). The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex (3rd ed.). Cleis Press. ISBN 1-57344-158-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Janell L. Carroll (2009). Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Cengage Learning. p. 272. ISBN 0-495-60274-4,. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Hite, Shere (2004). The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press. p. 322. ISBN 1583225692,. Retrieved 2 March 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Jude Schell (2008). Lesbian Sex: 101 Lovemaking Positions. Random House Digital. pp. 224 pages. ISBN 0-495-60274-4,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b Todd C. Penner, Caroline Vander Stichele (2007). "Still before sexuality: "Greek" androgyny, the Roman imperial politics of masculinity and the Roman invention of the Tribas". Mapping gender in ancient religious discourses. Brill. ISBN 90-04-15447-7,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halberstam, Judith (1998). Female Masculinity. Duke University Press. pp. 61–62. ISBN 0-8223-2243-9,. 9780822322436,. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Dena Goodman (2003). Marie-Antoinette: writings on the body of a queen. Psychology Press. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-415-93395-1,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ τριβάς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon on Perseus
^ τρίβω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon on Perseus
^ Oxford English Dictionary 2nd. Ed.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rictor Norton (July 12, 2002). "A Critique of Social Constructionism and Postmodern Queer Theory, "The 'Sodomite' and the 'Lesbian'". infopt.demon.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
^ Sihvola, Juha; Nussbaum, Martha Craven (2002). The sleep of reason: erotic experience and sexual ethics in ancient Greece and Rome. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-60915-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Warren J. Blumenfeld, Diane Christine Raymond (1993). Looking at gay and lesbian life. Beacon Press. pp. 430 pages. ISBN 0-8070-7923-5,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ "Invading the Roman Body: Manliness and Impenetrability in Roman Thought," pp. 30–31, and Pamela Gordon, "The Lover's Voice in Heroides 15: Or, Why Is Sappho a Man?," p. 283, both in Roman Sexualities. Marilyn B. Skinner (1997). Roman Sexualities. Princeton University Press. pp. 343 pages. ISBN 0-691-01178-8,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ "Look Who's Laughing at Sex: Men and Women Viewers in the Apodyterium of the Suburban Baths at Pompeii," in The Roman Gaze, p. 168. The dildo is rarely mentioned in Roman sources, but was a popular comic item in Classical Greek literature and art; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 351. David Fredrick (2002). The Roman Gaze: Vision, Power, and the Body. JHU Press. pp. 334 pages. ISBN 0-8018-6961-7,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ Martial 1.90 and 7.67, 50; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 347. John R. Clarke (2001). Looking at lovemaking: constructions of sexuality in Roman art, 100 B.C.-A.D. 250, Part 250. University of California Press. pp. 372 pages. ISBN 0-520-22904-5,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Andreadis, Harriette (2001). Sappho in Early Modern England: Female Same-Sex Literary Erotics, 1550–1714. University of Chicago Press. pp. 41, 49–51. ISBN 0-226-02009-6,. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jonathan Zenilman, Mohsen Shahmanesh (2011). Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp. 329–330. ISBN 0495812943,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin (2007). Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 429. ISBN 0-7637-4148-5,. 9780763741488. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ^a ^b Douglas C. Kimmel, Tara Rose, Steven David (2006). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging: research and clinical perspectives. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 303. ISBN 0-231-13618-8,. 9780231136181. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Ruth Karola Westheimer (2000). Encyclopedia of sex. Continuum. p. 166. ISBN 0826412408,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. A common variation is 'tribadism,' where two women lie face to face, one on top of the other. The genitals are pressed tightly together while the partners move in a grinding motion. Some rub their clitoris against their partner's pubic bone. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b Robert Crooks, Karla Baur (2010). Our Sexuality. Cengage Learning. p. 239. ISBN 0495812943,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. Rubbing genitals together or against other parts of a partner's body can be included in any couple's sexual interaction and is common in lesbian lovemaking... ...Many lesbians like [tribadism] because it involves all-over body contact and a generalized sensuality. Some women find the thrusting exciting; others straddle a partner's leg and rub gently. Some rub the clitoris on the partner's pubic pone (Loulan, 1984). {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b ^c Dowling, Nikki (December 4, 2009). "Girl On Girl: 11 Misconceptions About Lesbians". TheFrisky.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Jones, Mia (December 22, 2009). "All lesbians are good at sports, and other misconceptions". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Sarah Silverman offers to 'scissor' Sheldon Adelson for Obama". The Raw Story. July 16, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ Hess, Amanda (November 24, 2009). "Lesbians Don't Scissor Edition". Washington City Paper. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Rivera, Stephanie (November 17, 2010). "CSULB students protest censorship of lesbian terminology". daily49er.com. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
^ Letitia Anne Peplau, Linda D. Garnets (2002). Women's Sexualities: New Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender (Volume 56 of Journal of Social Issues). Wiley-Blackwell. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-4051-0080-9. 140510080X,. Retrieved 2010-12-19.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
^ ^a ^b "Sexual Risk Factors". AIDS.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
^ "Sexually Transmitted Disease Program - Resources for Lesbian & Bisexual Women". Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
^ "Safe Sex for lesbian and bisexual women". The Lesbian & Gay Foundation. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
^ ^a ^b Chivers, Meredith L.; Wiedermana, Michael W. (2006). "Primary Care for Lesbians and Bisexual Women". American Family Physician. 74 (2): 279–286. doi:10.1080/00224490709336797.
^ ^a ^b Harrington, Richard (January 7, 2005). "Scissor Sisters: On the Cutting Edge". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
^ Hannaford, Alex (2005). Scissor Sisters. London: Artnik. Page 29.
^ "Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary". San Francisco Bay Guardian. 12 July 2006.
^ Poniewozik, James (October 13, 2010). "Glee Watch: It Takes Two". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
^ Oldenburg, Ann (October 13, 2010). "'Glee' cheerleaders share 'sweet lady kisses'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
^ ^a ^b de Waal FB (1995). "Bonobo sex and society" (reprint). Sci Am. 272 (3): 82–8. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0395-82. PMID 7871411. Perhaps the bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate, is genito-genital rubbing (or GG rubbing) between adult females. One female facing another clings with arms and legs to a partner that, standing on both hands and feet, lifts her off the ground {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
^ Paoli T, Palagi E, Tacconi G, Tarli SB (2006). "Perineal swelling, intermenstrual cycle, and female sexual behavior in bonobos (Pan paniscus)". Am J Primatol. 68 (4): 333–47. doi:10.1002/ajp.20228. PMID 16534808. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ ^a ^b Balcombe, Jonathan Peter (2011). The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure. University of California Press. p. 88. ISBN 0520260244,. Retrieved November 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

External links

[1] Gould, George M. (1936). Gould's Pocket Medical Dictionary (10th rev. ed.). P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Ltd.

[Zimmerman-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Bonnie Zimmerman (2000). Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia (Volume 1). Taylor & Francis. pp. 776–777. ISBN 0-8153-1920-7,. Retrieved February 29, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Belge-3] Kathy Belge What is Tribadism?, accessed December 19, 2010.

[4] Cathy Winks and Anne Semans (2002). The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex (3rd ed.). Cleis Press. ISBN 1-57344-158-9.

[Carroll-5] Janell L. Carroll (2009). Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Cengage Learning. p. 272. ISBN 0-495-60274-4,. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Hite,_Tribadism-6] Hite, Shere (2004). The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press. p. 322. ISBN 1583225692,. Retrieved 2 March 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Schell-7] Jude Schell (2008). Lesbian Sex: 101 Lovemaking Positions. Random House Digital. pp. 224 pages. ISBN 0-495-60274-4,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Penner-8] Todd C. Penner, Caroline Vander Stichele (2007). "Still before sexuality: "Greek" androgyny, the Roman imperial politics of masculinity and the Roman invention of the Tribas". Mapping gender in ancient religious discourses. Brill. ISBN 90-04-15447-7,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Halberstam-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Halberstam, Judith (1998). Female Masculinity. Duke University Press. pp. 61–62. ISBN 0-8223-2243-9,. 9780822322436,. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Goodman-10] Dena Goodman (2003). Marie-Antoinette: writings on the body of a queen. Psychology Press. pp. 144–145. ISBN 0-415-93395-1,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[11] τριβάς, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon on Perseus

[12] τρίβω, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon on Perseus

[13] Oxford English Dictionary 2nd. Ed.

[Norton-14] Rictor Norton (July 12, 2002). "A Critique of Social Constructionism and Postmodern Queer Theory, "The 'Sodomite' and the 'Lesbian'". infopt.demon.co.uk. Retrieved July 30, 2011.

[Craven-15] Sihvola, Juha; Nussbaum, Martha Craven (2002). The sleep of reason: erotic experience and sexual ethics in ancient Greece and Rome. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-60915-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Blumenfeld-16] Warren J. Blumenfeld, Diane Christine Raymond (1993). Looking at gay and lesbian life. Beacon Press. pp. 430 pages. ISBN 0-8070-7923-5,. Retrieved February 19, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Skinner-17] "Invading the Roman Body: Manliness and Impenetrability in Roman Thought," pp. 30–31, and Pamela Gordon, "The Lover's Voice in Heroides 15: Or, Why Is Sappho a Man?," p. 283, both in Roman Sexualities. Marilyn B. Skinner (1997). Roman Sexualities. Princeton University Press. pp. 343 pages. ISBN 0-691-01178-8,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Fredrick-18] "Look Who's Laughing at Sex: Men and Women Viewers in the Apodyterium of the Suburban Baths at Pompeii," in The Roman Gaze, p. 168. The dildo is rarely mentioned in Roman sources, but was a popular comic item in Classical Greek literature and art; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 351. David Fredrick (2002). The Roman Gaze: Vision, Power, and the Body. JHU Press. pp. 334 pages. ISBN 0-8018-6961-7,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Clarke-19] Martial 1.90 and 7.67, 50; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 347. John R. Clarke (2001). Looking at lovemaking: constructions of sexuality in Roman art, 100 B.C.-A.D. 250, Part 250. University of California Press. pp. 372 pages. ISBN 0-520-22904-5,. Retrieved February 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Andreadis-20] Andreadis, Harriette (2001). Sappho in Early Modern England: Female Same-Sex Literary Erotics, 1550–1714. University of Chicago Press. pp. 41, 49–51. ISBN 0-226-02009-6,. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Zenilman_&_Shahmanesh-21] Jonathan Zenilman, Mohsen Shahmanesh (2011). Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp. 329–330. ISBN 0495812943,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Greenberg-22] Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin (2007). Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 429. ISBN 0-7637-4148-5,. 9780763741488. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Kimmel-23] Douglas C. Kimmel, Tara Rose, Steven David (2006). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging: research and clinical perspectives. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 303. ISBN 0-231-13618-8,. 9780231136181. Retrieved 2010-12-19. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Westheimer-24] Ruth Karola Westheimer (2000). Encyclopedia of sex. Continuum. p. 166. ISBN 0826412408,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. A common variation is 'tribadism,' where two women lie face to face, one on top of the other. The genitals are pressed tightly together while the partners move in a grinding motion. Some rub their clitoris against their partner's pubic bone. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[Crooks-25] Robert Crooks, Karla Baur (2010). Our Sexuality. Cengage Learning. p. 239. ISBN 0495812943,. Retrieved November 4, 2012. Rubbing genitals together or against other parts of a partner's body can be included in any couple's sexual interaction and is common in lesbian lovemaking... ...Many lesbians like [tribadism] because it involves all-over body contact and a generalized sensuality. Some women find the thrusting exciting; others straddle a partner's leg and rub gently. Some rub the clitoris on the partner's pubic pone (Loulan, 1984). {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[thefrisky.com-26] Dowling, Nikki (December 4, 2009). "Girl On Girl: 11 Misconceptions About Lesbians". TheFrisky.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.

[afterellen.com-27] Jones, Mia (December 22, 2009). "All lesbians are good at sports, and other misconceptions". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved December 29, 2010.

[Carpentier-28] "Sarah Silverman offers to 'scissor' Sheldon Adelson for Obama". The Raw Story. July 16, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

[washingtoncitypaper.com-29] Hess, Amanda (November 24, 2009). "Lesbians Don't Scissor Edition". Washington City Paper. Retrieved December 29, 2010.

[Rivera-30] Rivera, Stephanie (November 17, 2010). "CSULB students protest censorship of lesbian terminology". daily49er.com. Retrieved November 4, 2012.

[Peplau-31] Letitia Anne Peplau, Linda D. Garnets (2002). Women's Sexualities: New Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender (Volume 56 of Journal of Social Issues). Wiley-Blackwell. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-4051-0080-9. 140510080X,. Retrieved 2010-12-19.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[aids.gov-32] "Sexual Risk Factors". AIDS.gov. Retrieved June 8, 2012.

[Publichealth-33] "Sexually Transmitted Disease Program - Resources for Lesbian & Bisexual Women". Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Retrieved November 4, 2012.

[Safe_sex-34] "Safe Sex for lesbian and bisexual women". The Lesbian & Gay Foundation. Retrieved June 20, 2011.

[Mravack-35] Chivers, Meredith L.; Wiedermana, Michael W. (2006). "Primary Care for Lesbians and Bisexual Women". American Family Physician. 74 (2): 279–286. doi:10.1080/00224490709336797.

[WashPost-36] Harrington, Richard (January 7, 2005). "Scissor Sisters: On the Cutting Edge". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-09-17.

[37] Hannaford, Alex (2005). Scissor Sisters. London: Artnik. Page 29.

[sfbg-38] "Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary". San Francisco Bay Guardian. 12 July 2006.

[JP-39] Poniewozik, James (October 13, 2010). "Glee Watch: It Takes Two". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2010.

[40] Oldenburg, Ann (October 13, 2010). "'Glee' cheerleaders share 'sweet lady kisses'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 13, 2010.

[songweaver-41] Waal FB (1995). "Bonobo sex and society" (reprint). Sci Am. 272 (3): 82–8. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0395-82. PMID 7871411. Perhaps the bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate, is genito-genital rubbing (or GG rubbing) between adult females. One female facing another clings with arms and legs to a partner that, standing on both hands and feet, lifts her off the ground {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[42] Paoli T, Palagi E, Tacconi G, Tarli SB (2006). "Perineal swelling, intermenstrual cycle, and female sexual behavior in bonobos (Pan paniscus)". Am J Primatol. 68 (4): 333–47. doi:10.1002/ajp.20228. PMID 16534808. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[Balcombe-43] Balcombe, Jonathan Peter (2011). The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure. University of California Press. p. 88. ISBN 0520260244,. Retrieved November 22, 2012. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:Wiki-tribadism02.png|thumb|right|250px|An illustration of two women engaged in the [[missionary position]] of tribadism and rubbing vulvas, one of the various positions in which a woman rubs her vulva against her partner's body for the purpose of sexual pleasure.]]
-'''Tribadism''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|r|ɪ|b|ə|d|ɪ|z|əm}} {{respell|TRIB|ə-diz-əm}})<ref>{{cite book|last=Gould|first=George M.|title=Gould's Pocket Medical Dictionary|publisher=P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Ltd.|year=1936|edition=10th rev.}}</ref> or '''tribbing''', commonly known by its '''scissoring''' position, is a form of [[non-penetrative sex]] in which a woman rubs her [[vulva]] against her partner's body for sexual stimulation, especially for ample stimulation of the [[clitoris]]. This may involve female-to-female [[Sex organ|genital]] contact or a female rubbing her vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or other body part (excluding the mouth).<ref name="Zimmerman">{{cite book|title =Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia (Volume 1)|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2000|pages=776–777| author =Bonnie Zimmerman|isbn = 0-8153-1920-7, 9780815319207|url=http://books.google.com/?id=0EUoCrFolGcC&pg=PA777&dq=Lesbian+histories+and+cultures+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbian%20histories%20and%20cultures%20tribadism&f=false|accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Belge">Kathy Belge [http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbiansex/f/Tribadism.htm What is Tribadism?], accessed December 19, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cathy Winks and Anne Semans |title=The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex |publisher=Cleis Press|year=2002 | isbn=1-57344-158-9 | edition=3rd}}</ref><ref name="Carroll">{{cite book| author =Janell L. Carroll|title =Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity|isbn =0-495-60274-4,|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|year=2009|page=272|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5f8mQx7ULs4C&pg=PA272&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false}}</ref> A variety of [[sex position]]s are practiced, including the [[missionary position]].<ref name="Hite, Tribadism">{{cite book | first = Shere| last = Hite |author-link=Shere Hite | title = The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality | publisher = [[Seven Stories Press]] | year = 2004 | location=New York, NY | isbn = 1583225692, 9781583225691| page=322 | accessdate = 2 March 2012 | url =http://books.google.com/?id=s3OZaVn2wfkC&pg=PA322&dq=#v=onepage&q=&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Schell">{{cite book| author =Jude Schell|title =Lesbian Sex: 101 Lovemaking Positions|isbn =0-495-60274-4,|publisher=[[Random House|Random House Digital]]|year=2008|pages=224 pages|accessdate=November 4, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=JHVndzmgDmYC&pg=PP18&dq=}}</ref>
+'''Tribadism''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|r|ɪ|b|ə|d|ɪ|z|əm}} {{respell|TRIB|ə-diz-əm}})<ref>{{cite book|last=Gould|first=George M.|title=Gould's Pocket Medical Dictionary|publisher=P. Blakiston's Son & Co. Ltd.|year=1936|edition=10th rev.}}</ref> or '''tribbing''', commonly known by its '''scissoring''' position, is a form of [[non-penetrative sex]] in which a woman rubs her [[vulva]] against her partner's body for sexual stimulation, especially for ample stimulation of the [[clitoris]]. This may involve female-to-female [[Sex organ|genital]] contact or a female rubbing her vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or other body part (excluding the mouth).<ref name="Zimmerman">{{cite book|title =Lesbian histories and cultures: an encyclopedia (Volume 1)|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2000|pages=776–777| author =Bonnie Zimmerman|isbn = 0-8153-1920-7,|url=http://books.google.com/?id=0EUoCrFolGcC&pg=PA777&dq=Lesbian+histories+and+cultures+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbian%20histories%20and%20cultures%20tribadism&f=false|accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Belge">Kathy Belge [http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbiansex/f/Tribadism.htm What is Tribadism?], accessed December 19, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cathy Winks and Anne Semans |title=The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex |publisher=Cleis Press|year=2002 | isbn=1-57344-158-9| edition=3rd}}</ref><ref name="Carroll">{{cite book| author =Janell L. Carroll|title =Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity|isbn =0-495-60274-4,|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|year=2009|page=272|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5f8mQx7ULs4C&pg=PA272&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false}}</ref> A variety of [[sex position]]s are practiced, including the [[missionary position]].<ref name="Hite, Tribadism">{{cite book | first = Shere| last = Hite |author-link=Shere Hite | title = The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality | publisher = [[Seven Stories Press]] | year = 2004 | location=New York, NY | isbn = 1583225692,| page=322 | accessdate = 2 March 2012 | url =http://books.google.com/?id=s3OZaVn2wfkC&pg=PA322&dq=#v=onepage&q=&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Schell">{{cite book| author =Jude Schell|title =Lesbian Sex: 101 Lovemaking Positions|isbn =0-495-60274-4,|publisher=[[Random House|Random House Digital]]|year=2008|pages=224 pages|accessdate=November 4, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=JHVndzmgDmYC&pg=PP18&dq=}}</ref>
-The term is usually used in the context of [[Lesbian sexual practices|lesbian sex]], and originally encompassed societal beliefs about women's capability of being [[Sexual penetration|penetrative]] sexual partners.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Penner">{{Cite book | title=Mapping gender in ancient religious discourses | chapter=Still before sexuality: "Greek" androgyny, the Roman imperial politics of masculinity and the Roman invention of the ''Tribas''| publisher=Brill | year=2007 | isbn=90-04-15447-7, 9789004154476|accessdate=February 19, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=2udV9fAz1UkC&pg=PA11&dq=Still+before+sexuality:+%22Greek%22+androgyny,+the+Roman+imperial+politics+of+masculinity+and+the+Roman+invention+of+the+Tribas%22#v=onepage&q=Still%20before%20sexuality%3A%20%22Greek%22%20androgyny%2C%20the%20Roman%20imperial%20politics%20of%20masculinity%20and%20the%20Roman%20invention%20of%20the%20Tribas%22&f=false |author=Todd C. Penner, Caroline Vander Stichele}}</ref><ref name="Halberstam">{{cite book|first=Judith|last=Halberstam|author-link = Judith Halberstam|title =Female Masculinity|id = 9780822322436|publisher=Duke University Press|year=1998|pages=61–62|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UYAi9OEYRekC&pg=PA61&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-8223-2243-9,}}</ref> Women accused of having been penetrative during sexual activity were subject to ridicule or punishment.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Goodman">{{cite book|title=Marie-Antoinette: writings on the body of a queen|author=Dena Goodman|publisher=Psychology Press|year=2003|pages=144–145|accessdate=February 19, 2012|isbn=0-415-93395-1, 9780415933957|url=http://books.google.com/?id=VA9oTIyrWr4C&pg=PA145&dq=Marie+Antoinette+was+tried+and+roundly+convicted+in+the+press+as+a+tribade.#v=onepage&q=Marie%20Antoinette%20was%20tried%20and%20roundly%20convicted%20in%20the%20press%20as%20a%20tribade.&f=false}}</ref> In modern times, the term refers to various forms of [[Non-penetrative sex#Frottage|frottage]] between women without any negative connotations. It may also involve [[vagina]]l penetration by [[Fingering (sexual act)|use of the fingers]], a [[dildo]] or [[double penetration dildo]],<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name="Halberstam"/> or refer to a [[masturbation]] technique in which a woman rubs her vulva against an inanimate object such as a [[bolster]] to achieve [[orgasm]].
+The term is usually used in the context of [[Lesbian sexual practices|lesbian sex]], and originally encompassed societal beliefs about women's capability of being [[Sexual penetration|penetrative]] sexual partners.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Penner">{{Cite book | title=Mapping gender in ancient religious discourses | chapter=Still before sexuality: "Greek" androgyny, the Roman imperial politics of masculinity and the Roman invention of the ''Tribas''| publisher=Brill | year=2007 | isbn=90-04-15447-7,|accessdate=February 19, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=2udV9fAz1UkC&pg=PA11&dq=Still+before+sexuality:+%22Greek%22+androgyny,+the+Roman+imperial+politics+of+masculinity+and+the+Roman+invention+of+the+Tribas%22#v=onepage&q=Still%20before%20sexuality%3A%20%22Greek%22%20androgyny%2C%20the%20Roman%20imperial%20politics%20of%20masculinity%20and%20the%20Roman%20invention%20of%20the%20Tribas%22&f=false |author=Todd C. Penner, Caroline Vander Stichele}}</ref><ref name="Halberstam">{{cite book|first=Judith|last=Halberstam|author-link = Judith Halberstam|title =Female Masculinity|id = 9780822322436,|publisher=Duke University Press|year=1998|pages=61–62|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UYAi9OEYRekC&pg=PA61&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-8223-2243-9,}}</ref> Women accused of having been penetrative during sexual activity were subject to ridicule or punishment.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Goodman">{{cite book|title=Marie-Antoinette: writings on the body of a queen|author=Dena Goodman|publisher=Psychology Press|year=2003|pages=144–145|accessdate=February 19, 2012|isbn=0-415-93395-1,|url=http://books.google.com/?id=VA9oTIyrWr4C&pg=PA145&dq=Marie+Antoinette+was+tried+and+roundly+convicted+in+the+press+as+a+tribade.#v=onepage&q=Marie%20Antoinette%20was%20tried%20and%20roundly%20convicted%20in%20the%20press%20as%20a%20tribade.&f=false}}</ref> In modern times, the term refers to various forms of [[Non-penetrative sex#Frottage|frottage]] between women without any negative connotations. It may also involve [[vagina]]l penetration by [[Fingering (sexual act)|use of the fingers]], a [[dildo]] or [[double penetration dildo]],<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name="Halberstam"/> or refer to a [[masturbation]] technique in which a woman rubs her vulva against an inanimate object such as a [[bolster]] to achieve [[orgasm]].
 ==History and culture==
 ===Etymology and usage===
-The term ''tribadism'' derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word τριβάς (''tribas''), "a woman who practises unnatural vice with herself or with other women",<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dtriba%2Fs τριβάς], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' on Perseus</ref> which derives from the verb τρίβω (''tribō''), "rub".<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dtri%2Fbw τρίβω], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' on Perseus</ref> In ancient Greek and [[Sexuality in ancient Rome|Roman sexuality]], a tribas, or tribade (IPA:{{IPA|/ˈtrɪbəd/ /tribad/}}),<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd. Ed.</ref> was a woman or [[intersex]] individual who actively penetrated another person (male or female) through use of the [[clitoris]] or a [[dildo]]. This did not begin to refer exclusively to eroticism between women until [[Late Antiquity]].<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Halberstam"/> Because penetration was viewed as "male-defined" sexuality, a tribas was considered the most vulgar lesbian.<ref name="Penner"/><ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Norton">{{cite web|author=[[Rictor Norton]]|title=A Critique of Social Constructionism and Postmodern Queer Theory, "The 'Sodomite' and the 'Lesbian'|publisher=infopt.demon.co.uk|date=July 12, 2002|accessdate=July 30, 2011|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080215084530/http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/social22.htm}}</ref><ref name="Craven">{{cite book |author=Sihvola, Juha; Nussbaum, Martha Craven |title=The sleep of reason: erotic experience and sexual ethics in ancient Greece and Rome |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=2002 |isbn=0-226-60915-4 }}</ref> The Greeks and Romans recognized same-sex attraction, but as any sexual act was believed to require that one of the partners be "[[Phallus|phallic]]" and that therefore sex between women was impossible without this feature, popular mythology pictured lesbians as either having enlarged clitorises or as incapable of sexual enjoyment without the substitution of a phallus.<ref name="Blumenfeld">{{cite book|title =Looking at gay and lesbian life|publisher=Beacon Press|year=1993|pages=430 pages|isbn=0-8070-7923-5, 9780807079232|accessdate=February 19, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=WuJYskiyjEoC&pg=PA93&dq=As+women+were+not+viewed+as+sexual+beings,+sex+between+two+women+was+unthinkable#v=onepage&q=As%20women%20were%20not%20viewed%20as%20sexual%20beings%2C%20sex%20between%20two%20women%20was%20unthinkable&f=false|author=Warren J. Blumenfeld, Diane Christine Raymond}}</ref><ref name="Skinner">"Invading the Roman Body: Manliness and Impenetrability in Roman Thought," pp. 30–31, and Pamela Gordon, "The Lover's Voice in ''Heroides'' 15: Or, Why Is Sappho a Man?," p. 283, both in ''Roman Sexualities''. {{cite book|title =Roman Sexualities|author=Marilyn B. Skinner|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1997|pages=343 pages|isbn=0-691-01178-8, 9780691011783|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=1ZPC3TqBZEQC&pg=PA14&dq=Invading+the+Roman+Body:+Manliness+and+Impenetrability+in+Roman+Thought#v=onepage&q=Invading%20the%20Roman%20Body%3A%20Manliness%20and%20Impenetrability%20in%20Roman%20Thought&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Fredrick">"Look Who's Laughing at Sex: Men and Women Viewers in the ''Apodyterium'' of the Suburban Baths at Pompeii," in ''The Roman Gaze'', p. 168. The dildo is rarely mentioned in Roman sources, but was a popular comic item in Classical Greek literature and art; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 351. {{cite book|title =The Roman Gaze: Vision, Power, and the Body|author=David Fredrick|publisher=JHU Press|year=2002|pages=334 pages|isbn=0-8018-6961-7, 9780801869617|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KmVd4I2qvhwC&pg=PA149&dq=Look+Who%27s+Laughing+at+Sex:+Men+and+Women+Viewers+in+the+%27%27Apodyterium%27%27+of+the+Suburban+Baths+at+Pompeii#v=onepage&q=Look%20Who%27s%20Laughing%20at%20Sex%3A%20Men%20and%20Women%20Viewers%20in%20the%20%27%27Apodyterium%27%27%20of%20the%20Suburban%20Baths%20at%20Pompeii&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Clarke">Martial 1.90 and 7.67, 50; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 347. {{cite book|title =Looking at lovemaking: constructions of sexuality in Roman art, 100 B.C.-A.D. 250, Part 250|author=John R. Clarke|publisher=University of California Press|year=2001|pages=372 pages|isbn=0-520-22904-5, 9780520229044|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=bwNdgd8cQcgC&pg=PA55&dq=Looking+at+Lovemaking+Sexuality+in+the+Roman+Empire#v=onepage&q=Looking%20at%20Lovemaking%20Sexuality%20in%20the%20Roman%20Empire&f=false}}</ref> This appears in Greek and [[Latin]] satires as early as the late first century.<ref name="Norton"/>
+The term ''tribadism'' derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] word τριβάς (''tribas''), "a woman who practises unnatural vice with herself or with other women",<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dtriba%2Fs τριβάς], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' on Perseus</ref> which derives from the verb τρίβω (''tribō''), "rub".<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dtri%2Fbw τρίβω], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'' on Perseus</ref> In ancient Greek and [[Sexuality in ancient Rome|Roman sexuality]], a tribas, or tribade (IPA:{{IPA|/ˈtrɪbəd/ /tribad/}}),<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd. Ed.</ref> was a woman or [[intersex]] individual who actively penetrated another person (male or female) through use of the [[clitoris]] or a [[dildo]]. This did not begin to refer exclusively to eroticism between women until [[Late Antiquity]].<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Halberstam"/> Because penetration was viewed as "male-defined" sexuality, a tribas was considered the most vulgar lesbian.<ref name="Penner"/><ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Norton">{{cite web|author=[[Rictor Norton]]|title=A Critique of Social Constructionism and Postmodern Queer Theory, "The 'Sodomite' and the 'Lesbian'|publisher=infopt.demon.co.uk|date=July 12, 2002|accessdate=July 30, 2011|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20080215084530/http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/social22.htm}}</ref><ref name="Craven">{{cite book |author=Sihvola, Juha; Nussbaum, Martha Craven |title=The sleep of reason: erotic experience and sexual ethics in ancient Greece and Rome |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |year=2002 |isbn=0-226-60915-4 }}</ref> The Greeks and Romans recognized same-sex attraction, but as any sexual act was believed to require that one of the partners be "[[Phallus|phallic]]" and that therefore sex between women was impossible without this feature, popular mythology pictured lesbians as either having enlarged clitorises or as incapable of sexual enjoyment without the substitution of a phallus.<ref name="Blumenfeld">{{cite book|title =Looking at gay and lesbian life|publisher=Beacon Press|year=1993|pages=430 pages|isbn=0-8070-7923-5,|accessdate=February 19, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=WuJYskiyjEoC&pg=PA93&dq=As+women+were+not+viewed+as+sexual+beings,+sex+between+two+women+was+unthinkable#v=onepage&q=As%20women%20were%20not%20viewed%20as%20sexual%20beings%2C%20sex%20between%20two%20women%20was%20unthinkable&f=false|author=Warren J. Blumenfeld, Diane Christine Raymond}}</ref><ref name="Skinner">"Invading the Roman Body: Manliness and Impenetrability in Roman Thought," pp. 30–31, and Pamela Gordon, "The Lover's Voice in ''Heroides'' 15: Or, Why Is Sappho a Man?," p. 283, both in ''Roman Sexualities''. {{cite book|title =Roman Sexualities|author=Marilyn B. Skinner|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1997|pages=343 pages|isbn=0-691-01178-8,|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=1ZPC3TqBZEQC&pg=PA14&dq=Invading+the+Roman+Body:+Manliness+and+Impenetrability+in+Roman+Thought#v=onepage&q=Invading%20the%20Roman%20Body%3A%20Manliness%20and%20Impenetrability%20in%20Roman%20Thought&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Fredrick">"Look Who's Laughing at Sex: Men and Women Viewers in the ''Apodyterium'' of the Suburban Baths at Pompeii," in ''The Roman Gaze'', p. 168. The dildo is rarely mentioned in Roman sources, but was a popular comic item in Classical Greek literature and art; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 351. {{cite book|title =The Roman Gaze: Vision, Power, and the Body|author=David Fredrick|publisher=JHU Press|year=2002|pages=334 pages|isbn=0-8018-6961-7,|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=KmVd4I2qvhwC&pg=PA149&dq=Look+Who%27s+Laughing+at+Sex:+Men+and+Women+Viewers+in+the+%27%27Apodyterium%27%27+of+the+Suburban+Baths+at+Pompeii#v=onepage&q=Look%20Who%27s%20Laughing%20at%20Sex%3A%20Men%20and%20Women%20Viewers%20in%20the%20%27%27Apodyterium%27%27%20of%20the%20Suburban%20Baths%20at%20Pompeii&f=false}}</ref><ref name="Clarke">Martial 1.90 and 7.67, 50; Richlin, "Sexuality in the Roman Empire," p. 347. {{cite book|title =Looking at lovemaking: constructions of sexuality in Roman art, 100 B.C.-A.D. 250, Part 250|author=John R. Clarke|publisher=University of California Press|year=2001|pages=372 pages|isbn=0-520-22904-5,|accessdate=February 22, 2012|url=http://books.google.com/?id=bwNdgd8cQcgC&pg=PA55&dq=Looking+at+Lovemaking+Sexuality+in+the+Roman+Empire#v=onepage&q=Looking%20at%20Lovemaking%20Sexuality%20in%20the%20Roman%20Empire&f=false}}</ref> This appears in Greek and [[Latin]] satires as early as the late first century.<ref name="Norton"/>
 In English texts, ''tribade'' is recorded as early as 1601, in [[Ben Jonson]]'s ''Praeludium'' (Poem X in ''The Forest''),<ref name="Zimmerman"/> to as late as the mid-nineteenth century; it was the most common lesbian term in European texts,<ref name="Norton"/> through the proliferation of classical literature, anatomies, midwiferies, sexual advice manuals, and [[pornography]].<ref name="Zimmerman"/> It also came to refer to lesbian sexual practices in general, though anatomical investigation in the mid-eighteenth century led to skepticism about stories of enlarged clitorises and anatomists and doctors argued for a more precise distinction between clitoral [[hypertrophy]] and [[Hermaphrodite|hermaphroditism]].<ref name="Zimmerman"/> "More often, however, [European] writers avoided the term, instead euphemistically invoking 'unnatural vice,' 'lewd behavior,' 'crimes against nature,' 'using an instrument,' and 'taking the part of a man.'"<ref name="Zimmerman"/> In the eighteenth century, where the term saw one of its most popular uses, it was employed in several pornographic [[Defamation|libels]] against [[Marie Antoinette]], who was "tried and roundly convicted in the press" as being a tribade.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Goodman"/> "[Her] rumored tribadism had historically specific political implications," stated author Dena Goodman. "Consider her final (fictive) testimony in ''The Confession of Marie-Antoinette'': 'People!' she protests, 'because I ceded to the sweet impressions of nature, and in imitating the charming weakness of all the women of the court of France, I surrendered to the sweet impulsion of love...you hold me, as it were, captive within your walls?'" Goodman elaborated that in one libel, Marie-Antoinette is described as generously providing details of her husband's "incapacity in the venereal act" and that her lust resulted in her taking [[Yolande de Polastron|La Jule de Polignac]] "into [her] service" and later specifying that what makes sex with a woman so appealing is "Adroit in the art of stimulating the clitoris"; Marie-Antoinette is described stating that La Polignac's attentions produced "one of those rare pleasures that cannot be used up because it can be repeated as many times as one likes".<ref name="Goodman"/>
-"By the [[Victorian era]], tribadism tended to be constructed as a lower class and non-Western phenomenon and often was associated with the supposed degeneration of prostitutes and criminals," stated author Bonnie Zimmerman. By the twentieth century, "''tribade'' had been supplanted" by the terms ''[[sappho|sapphist]]'', ''lesbian'', ''invert'', and ''homosexual'', as ''tribade'' had become too archaic to use.<ref name="Zimmerman"/> ''Fricatrice'', a synonym for ''tribade'' that also refers to rubbing but has a Latin rather than a Greek root, appeared in English texts as early as 1605 (in Ben Jonson's ''[[Volpone]]'').<ref name="Andreadis">{{cite book |last=Andreadis |first=Harriette |title=Sappho in Early Modern England: Female Same-Sex Literary Erotics, 1550–1714|publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2001 |pages=41, 49–51|isbn=0-226-02009-6}}</ref> Its usage suggests that it was more colloquial and more [[pejorative]] than ''tribade''.<ref name="Andreadis"/> Variants include the Latinized ''confricatrice'' and English ''rubster''.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Andreadis"/>
+"By the [[Victorian era]], tribadism tended to be constructed as a lower class and non-Western phenomenon and often was associated with the supposed degeneration of prostitutes and criminals," stated author Bonnie Zimmerman. By the twentieth century, "''tribade'' had been supplanted" by the terms ''[[sappho|sapphist]]'', ''lesbian'', ''invert'', and ''homosexual'', as ''tribade'' had become too archaic to use.<ref name="Zimmerman"/> ''Fricatrice'', a synonym for ''tribade'' that also refers to rubbing but has a Latin rather than a Greek root, appeared in English texts as early as 1605 (in Ben Jonson's ''[[Volpone]]'').<ref name="Andreadis">{{cite book |last=Andreadis |first=Harriette |title=Sappho in Early Modern England: Female Same-Sex Literary Erotics, 1550–1714|publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2001 |pages=41, 49–51|isbn=0-226-02009-6,}}</ref> Its usage suggests that it was more colloquial and more [[pejorative]] than ''tribade''.<ref name="Andreadis"/> Variants include the Latinized ''confricatrice'' and English ''rubster''.<ref name="Zimmerman"/><ref name="Andreadis"/>
 ===Sexual practices===
 ====Sex positions and other aspects====
-Tribadism is a common sexual practice among [[women who have sex with women]] (WSW).<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name=" Zenilman & Shahmanesh">{{cite book | title = Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment| publisher = [[Jones & Bartlett Learning| Jones & Bartlett Publishers]] | year = 2011 | pages = 329–330 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0495812943, 9780495812944| url = http://books.google.com/?id=lO5BND02eBwC&pg=PA329&dq=803+lesbian+and+bisexual+women+attending+two+London+lesbian+sexual+health+clinics#v=onepage&q=803%20lesbian%20and%20bisexual%20women%20attending%20two%20London%20lesbian%20sexual%20health%20clinics&f=false|quote= | author = Jonathan Zenilman, Mohsen Shahmanesh}}</ref><ref name="Greenberg">{{cite book|title =Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality|id = 9780763741488|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|year=2007|page=429|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZdYh_iFZvbkC&pg=PA429&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-7637-4148-5,|author = Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin}}</ref><ref name="Kimmel">{{cite book|title =Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging: research and clinical perspectives|id = 9780231136181|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|year=2006|pages=303|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Ae39o9m66hIC&pg=PA73&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-231-13618-8,|author =Douglas C. Kimmel, Tara Rose, Steven David}}</ref> Although the term is often applied to the act of vulva-to-vulva stimulation,<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name="Westheimer">{{cite book | title = Encyclopedia of sex | publisher = [[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] | year = 2000 | page = 166 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0826412408, 9780826412409| url = http://books.google.com/?id=2EobAAAAYAAJ&q=&dq=|quote=A common variation is 'tribadism,' where two women lie face to face, one on top of the other. The genitals are pressed tightly together while the partners move in a grinding motion. Some rub their clitoris against their partner's pubic bone. | author = Ruth Karola Westheimer}}</ref> it encompasses a variety of sexual activity. In addition to the "scissoring" position, which involves the partners interlocking their legs in a position similar to the shape of scissors and pressing their vulvae together, tribadism may involve a [[missionary position]], a [[Woman on top (sex position)|woman on top]] position, a [[doggy style]] position or others,<ref name="Hite, Tribadism"/><ref name="Schell"/> or simple movement of the woman's vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or another body part.<ref name="Belge"/><ref name="Schell"/><ref name="Crooks">{{cite book | title = Our Sexuality | publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2010 | page = 239 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0495812943, 9780495812944| url = http://books.google.com/?id=MpRnPtmdRVwC&pg=PA239&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|quote=Rubbing genitals together or against other parts of a partner's body can be included in any couple's sexual interaction and is common in lesbian lovemaking... ...Many lesbians like [tribadism] because it involves all-over body contact and a generalized sensuality. Some women find the thrusting exciting; others straddle a partner's leg and rub gently. Some rub the clitoris on the partner's pubic pone (Loulan, 1984). | author = Robert Crooks, Karla Baur}}</ref> Vaginal penetration by [[Fingering (sexual act)|use of the fingers]] or by use of a [[dildo]] may be accompanied, and so sometimes "mutuality and reciprocation tend not to be the main objective, although satisfaction for both partners through different means most definitely is its aim".<ref name="Halberstam"/> Women who enjoy or prefer tribadism report enjoyment of whole-body contact, the experience of timing hip movement and feeling their partner's motions without manual stimulation, which is considered exciting, erotic and a much easier way to achieve [[orgasm]] due to ample [[Clitoris|clitoral]] stimulation.<ref name="Belge"/><ref name="Schell"/><ref name="Crooks"/>
+Tribadism is a common sexual practice among [[women who have sex with women]] (WSW).<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name=" Zenilman & Shahmanesh">{{cite book | title = Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment| publisher = [[Jones & Bartlett Learning| Jones & Bartlett Publishers]] | year = 2011 | pages = 329–330 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0495812943,| url = http://books.google.com/?id=lO5BND02eBwC&pg=PA329&dq=803+lesbian+and+bisexual+women+attending+two+London+lesbian+sexual+health+clinics#v=onepage&q=803%20lesbian%20and%20bisexual%20women%20attending%20two%20London%20lesbian%20sexual%20health%20clinics&f=false|quote= | author = Jonathan Zenilman, Mohsen Shahmanesh}}</ref><ref name="Greenberg">{{cite book|title =Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality|id = 9780763741488|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|year=2007|page=429|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ZdYh_iFZvbkC&pg=PA429&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-7637-4148-5,|author = Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sarah C. Conklin}}</ref><ref name="Kimmel">{{cite book|title =Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender aging: research and clinical perspectives|id = 9780231136181|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|year=2006|pages=303|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Ae39o9m66hIC&pg=PA73&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|isbn =0-231-13618-8,|author =Douglas C. Kimmel, Tara Rose, Steven David}}</ref> Although the term is often applied to the act of vulva-to-vulva stimulation,<ref name="Carroll"/><ref name="Westheimer">{{cite book | title = Encyclopedia of sex | publisher = [[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] | year = 2000 | page = 166 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0826412408,| url = http://books.google.com/?id=2EobAAAAYAAJ&q=&dq=|quote=A common variation is 'tribadism,' where two women lie face to face, one on top of the other. The genitals are pressed tightly together while the partners move in a grinding motion. Some rub their clitoris against their partner's pubic bone. | author = Ruth Karola Westheimer}}</ref> it encompasses a variety of sexual activity. In addition to the "scissoring" position, which involves the partners interlocking their legs in a position similar to the shape of scissors and pressing their vulvas together, tribadism may involve a [[missionary position]], a [[Woman on top (sex position)|woman on top]] position, a [[doggy style]] position or others,<ref name="Hite, Tribadism"/><ref name="Schell"/> or simple movement of the woman's vulva against her partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or another body part.<ref name="Belge"/><ref name="Schell"/><ref name="Crooks">{{cite book | title = Our Sexuality | publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2010 | page = 239 | accessdate = November 4, 2012 |isbn = 0495812943,| url = http://books.google.com/?id=MpRnPtmdRVwC&pg=PA239&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|quote=Rubbing genitals together or against other parts of a partner's body can be included in any couple's sexual interaction and is common in lesbian lovemaking... ...Many lesbians like [tribadism] because it involves all-over body contact and a generalized sensuality. Some women find the thrusting exciting; others straddle a partner's leg and rub gently. Some rub the clitoris on the partner's pubic pone (Loulan, 1984). | author = Robert Crooks, Karla Baur}}</ref> Vaginal penetration by [[Fingering (sexual act)|use of the fingers]] or by use of a [[dildo]] may be accompanied, and so sometimes "mutuality and reciprocation tend not to be the main objective, although satisfaction for both partners through different means most definitely is its aim".<ref name="Halberstam"/> Women who enjoy or prefer tribadism report enjoyment of whole-body contact, the experience of timing hip movement and feeling their partner's motions without manual stimulation, which is considered exciting, erotic and a much easier way to achieve [[orgasm]] due to ample [[Clitoris|clitoral]] stimulation.<ref name="Belge"/><ref name="Schell"/><ref name="Crooks"/>
 [[Image:Wiki-tribadism.png|thumb|left|250px|An illustration of two women engaged in the "scissoring" position, a position debated among lesbians.<ref name="thefrisky.com"/><ref name="afterellen.com"/><ref name="Carpentier"/>]]
 Some lesbian and bisexual women do not engage in the "scissoring" position; this may be because they find it uncomfortable, because they object to the act and feel that it is not representative of [[lesbian sexual practices]] and is more attributable to the male fantasies of the heterosexual [[sex industry|porn industry]], or simply because it is not a part of their sex lives.<ref name="thefrisky.com">{{cite web|first=Nikki|last=Dowling|title=Girl On Girl: 11 Misconceptions About Lesbians|date=December 4, 2009|accessdate=December 29, 2010|publisher=TheFrisky.com|url=http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-girl-on-girl-11-misconceptions-about-lesbians/}}</ref><ref name="afterellen.com">{{cite web|first=Mia|last=Jones|title=All lesbians are good at sports, and other misconceptions|date=December 22, 2009|accessdate=December 29, 2010|publisher=[[AfterEllen.com and AfterElton.com|AfterEllen.com]]|url=http://www.afterellen.com/blog/stubbs/lesbians-are-all-good-at-sports-and-other-misconceptions}}</ref><ref name="washingtoncitypaper.com">{{cite web|first=Amanda|last=Hess|title=Lesbians Don’t Scissor Edition|date=November 24, 2009|accessdate=December 29, 2010|publisher=[[Washington City Paper]]|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/11/24/university-sex-columns-reviewed-lesbians-dont-scissor-edition/}}</ref> ''[[The Raw Story]]'' states, "Whether [the scissoring position] describes a traditional or even common lesbian act remains up for debate."<ref name="Carpentier">{{Cite web|title=Sarah Silverman offers to ‘scissor’ Sheldon Adelson for Obama|publisher=''[[The Raw Story]]''|date= July 16, 2012|accessdate=November 4, 2012|url=http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/16/sarah-silverman-offers-to-scissor-sheldon-adelson-for-obama/}}</ref> Some sources, however, such as [[Shere Hite]]'s 1976 and 1981 research, show that women may enjoy performing the scissoring position with other women because it is a variation of vulva-to-vulva contact or can allow for maximum vulva-to-vulva contact and therefore an elevated level of intimacy.<ref name="Hite, Tribadism"/><ref name="Schell"/>
-"Scissoring" is commonly used as an [[umbrella term]] for all forms of tribadism,<ref name="Rivera">{{Cite web|first=Stephanie|last= Rivera|title=CSULB students protest censorship of lesbian terminology|publisher=daily49er.com|date=November 17, 2010|accessdate=November 4, 2012|url=http://www.daily49er.com/news/csulb-students-protest-censorship-of-lesbian-terminology-1.2410216#.UJb2WobqWXn}}</ref> and many lesbian and bisexual women are unaware that some of the sexual acts they include in their lovemaking are aspects of and are formally labeled ''tribadism'', as tribadism is commonly omitted from mainstream [[Sexology|sex research]].<ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Peplau">{{cite book|title = Women's Sexualities: New Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender (Volume 56 of Journal of Social Issues)|id = 140510080X, 9781405100809|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2002|pages=242|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6QVVjOAKdVsC&pg=PA320&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|author = Letitia Anne Peplau, Linda D. Garnets|isbn = 978-1-4051-0080-9}}</ref> [[Judith Halberstam]], in her book ''Female Masculinity'', stated, "If we trace the use of the term forward into present, we find that tribadism is one of those rarely discussed but often practiced sexual activities, and the silence that surrounds it now is as puzzling as the discourse it produced in earlier centuries." She added that [[Sigmund Freud]] "had nothing to say" on the subject, "and few contemporary lesbian sex books even discuss it".<ref name="Halberstam"/>
+"Scissoring" is commonly used as an [[umbrella term]] for all forms of tribadism,<ref name="Rivera">{{Cite web|first=Stephanie|last= Rivera|title=CSULB students protest censorship of lesbian terminology|publisher=daily49er.com|date=November 17, 2010|accessdate=November 4, 2012|url=http://www.daily49er.com/news/csulb-students-protest-censorship-of-lesbian-terminology-1.2410216#.UJb2WobqWXn}}</ref> and many lesbian and bisexual women are unaware that some of the sexual acts they include in their lovemaking are aspects of and are formally labeled ''tribadism'', as tribadism is commonly omitted from mainstream [[Sexology|sex research]].<ref name="Halberstam"/><ref name="Peplau">{{cite book|title = Women's Sexualities: New Perspectives on Sexual Orientation and Gender (Volume 56 of Journal of Social Issues)|id = 140510080X,|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year=2002|pages=242|accessdate=2010-12-19|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=6QVVjOAKdVsC&pg=PA320&dq=Lesbians+and+tribadism#v=onepage&q=Lesbians%20and%20tribadism&f=false|author = Letitia Anne Peplau, Linda D. Garnets|isbn = 978-1-4051-0080-9}}</ref> [[Judith Halberstam]], in her book ''Female Masculinity'', stated, "If we trace the use of the term forward into present, we find that tribadism is one of those rarely discussed but often practiced sexual activities, and the silence that surrounds it now is as puzzling as the discourse it produced in earlier centuries." She added that [[Sigmund Freud]] "had nothing to say" on the subject, "and few contemporary lesbian sex books even discuss it".<ref name="Halberstam"/>
 According to older studies, approximately one-third of lesbian women used tribadism, or body contact, as a means of achieving orgasm (Saghir & Robins, 1973; Jay & Young, 1977).<ref name="Kimmel"/> [[Masters and Johnson]]'s 1979 study on lesbian sexual practices found that vaginal penetration with dildos is rare, and that lesbians tend to do more overall genital stimulation than direct clitoral stimulation, which is also often the case for heterosexual relationships.<ref name="Greenberg"/> In 1987, a non-scientific study (Munson) was conducted of more than 100 members of a lesbian social organization in Colorado. When asked what techniques they used in their last 10 lovemaking sessions, 100% were for kissing, sucking on nipples, and manual stimulation of the clitoris; more than 90% reported French kissing, oral sex, and fingers inserted into the vagina; and 80% reported tribadism.<ref name="Carroll"/>
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Paoli T, Palagi E, Tacconi G, Tarli SB |title=Perineal swelling, intermenstrual cycle, and female sexual behavior in bonobos (Pan paniscus) |journal=Am J Primatol |volume=68 |issue=4 |pages=333–47 |year=2006 |month=Apr |pmid=16534808 |doi=10.1002/ajp.20228 }}</ref> "Perhaps the bonobo's most typical sexual pattern, undocumented in any other primate, is genito-genital rubbing (or GG rubbing) between adult females. One female facing another clings with arms and legs to a partner that, standing on both hands and feet, lifts her off the ground."<ref name="songweaver"/>
-In bonobos, the clitoris is larger and more externalized than in most mammals.<ref name="Balcombe">{{cite book|first=Jonathan Peter|last=Balcombe|title = The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure | publisher = [[University of California Press]]|isbn = 0520260244, 9780520260245|year =2011|page=88|accessdate = November 22, 2012 |url =http://books.google.com/?id=tz9mSyTWh0oC&pg=PA88&dq=Animals+are+equipped+for+sexual+pleasure.+Genital+areas+are+highly+innervated,+and+all+female+mammals+have+a+clitoris,+which+becomes+engorged+in+those+relatively+few+species+in+which+this+has+been+studied.#v=onepage&q=Animals%20are%20equipped%20for%20sexual%20pleasure.%20Genital%20areas%20are%20highly%20innervated%2C%20and%20all%20female%20mammals%20have%20a%20clitoris%2C%20which%20becomes%20engorged%20in%20those%20relatively%20few%20species%20in%20which%20this%20has%20been%20studied.&f=false}}</ref> Bonobos rub their clitorises together rapidly for ten to twenty seconds, and this behavior, "which may be repeated in rapid succession, is usually accompanied by grinding, shrieking, and clitoral engorgement"; on average, female bonobos engage in genital-genital rubbing "about once every two hours".<ref name="Balcombe"/>
+In bonobos, the clitoris is larger and more externalized than in most mammals.<ref name="Balcombe">{{cite book|first=Jonathan Peter|last=Balcombe|title = The Exultant Ark: A Pictorial Tour of Animal Pleasure | publisher = [[University of California Press]]|isbn = 0520260244,|year =2011|page=88|accessdate = November 22, 2012 |url =http://books.google.com/?id=tz9mSyTWh0oC&pg=PA88&dq=Animals+are+equipped+for+sexual+pleasure.+Genital+areas+are+highly+innervated,+and+all+female+mammals+have+a+clitoris,+which+becomes+engorged+in+those+relatively+few+species+in+which+this+has+been+studied.#v=onepage&q=Animals%20are%20equipped%20for%20sexual%20pleasure.%20Genital%20areas%20are%20highly%20innervated%2C%20and%20all%20female%20mammals%20have%20a%20clitoris%2C%20which%20becomes%20engorged%20in%20those%20relatively%20few%20species%20in%20which%20this%20has%20been%20studied.&f=false}}</ref> Bonobos rub their clitorises together rapidly for ten to twenty seconds, and this behavior, "which may be repeated in rapid succession, is usually accompanied by grinding, shrieking, and clitoral engorgement"; on average, female bonobos engage in genital-genital rubbing "about once every two hours".<ref name="Balcombe"/>
 ==See also==

v t e Outline of human sexuality
Physiology and biology	Clitoral erection Erogenous zones Insemination Intersex Libido Nocturnal emission Orgasm Female and male ejaculation Pelvic thrust Penile erection Pre-ejaculate Pregnancy Sexual arousal Sexual response cycle Sexual stimulation Vaginal lubrication
Health and education	Birth control Condom Male contraceptive Masters and Johnson Obesity and sexuality Reproductive medicine Andrology Gynaecology Urology Safe sex Sex education Sex therapy (PLISSIT model) Sexology Sexual dysfunction Erectile dysfunction Hypersexuality Hyposexuality Sexual medicine Sexual surrogate Sexually transmitted infection
Identity and diversity	Gender binary Gender identity Men who have sex with men Sexual identity Sexual orientation Women who have sex with women
Law	Age of consent Criminal transmission of HIV Child sexual abuse Incest Indecent exposure Obscenity Sexual abuse Cybersex trafficking Rape Sex trafficking Sexual assault Sexual harassment Sexual misconduct Sexual slavery Sexual violence Revenge pornography
History	Blue Movie Counterculture of the 1960s Feminist sex wars Golden Age of Porn History of erotic depictions Sexual revolution
Relationships and society	Anarchism and love/sex Extramarital sex Family planning Flirting Free love Marriage Modesty Orgasm gap Polyamory Premarital sex Promiscuity Romance Sex-positive movement Sexual abstinence Sexual addiction Sexual attraction Sexual capital Sexual ethics Sexual objectification Sexual slang Split attraction model
By country	Ancient Rome China India Japan Philippines South Korea United States
Sexual activities	Conventional sex Anal sex Bareback BDSM Child sex Creampie Edging Erotic sexual denial Facial Fetishism Fisting Foot fetishism Footjob Forced orgasm Frot Gang bang Group sex Mammary intercourse Manual sex Anal fingering Fingering Handjob Masturbation Mechanics of sex Nipple stimulation Non-penetrative sex Oral sex 69 Anilingus Cunnilingus Fellatio Irrumatio Paraphilia Pompoir Quickie Sexercise Sex in space Sex positions Sexual fantasy Sexual fetishism Sexual intercourse Foreplay Sexual penetration Sumata Swinging Tribadism Urethral intercourse Urolagnia Virtual sex Cybersex Erotic talk Wet T-shirt contest
Sex industry	Adult video games Erotica Pornography Film actor Prostitution Sacred Survival sex Red-light district Sex museum Sex shop Sex tourism Child Female Sex worker Sex toy Doll Strip club Webcam model
Religion and sexuality	Buddhism and Hinduism Tantric sex Christian demonology Clerical celibacy Buddhist monasticism Catholic Church Hindu monasticism Jain monasticism Daoism Islam Judaism LGBT people LGBT-affirming religious groups Mormonism Sacred prostitution Ancient Greece Thelema Sex magic
Human sexuality portal