When it comes to making sex as wonderful as it can possibly be—or if you’re abstaining from sex but still want to do everything leading up to it—foreplay is a must. As a refresher, foreplay can be both physical and emotional, and, regardless of the form, it centers around intimacy.
“The purpose is to increase the excitement, to get you in the mood, and get your ‘juices flowing’ in anticipation of sex,” says board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Karen Patrusky.
While many people think and joke about how foreplay is a super feminine want, Patrusky, who is also the founder of Voilà Intimate Mood Oils, says that it’s important for both men and women to consider that physical changes—think lubrication and erections—are necessary for sex to occur (at least pleasantly).