18 Sex positions for your mate

This is a position that may suggest itself while cuddling on the sofa. The man sits with the woman straddling his lap, facing him. She controls the pace, they can kiss and he can caress her breasts. She moves up and down on him, supporting herself with her knees on the sofa, and her arms around his neck. If they use a dining chair, she can keep her feet on the floor and hold on to the chair back for support if necessary. If she faces away from him, they will be able to achieve deeper penetration, and she could support herself against furniture in front of her.

Side-by-side positions offer a high level of intimacy as they allow a great deal of body contact. The positions are gentle and romantic and can allow for prolonged intercourse. In the "spoons" position the partners lie on their sides with the man behind the woman. The woman pulls her knees up and lifts one slightly to allow easy penetration. In this position the man is free to caress his partner's breasts and genitals. The partners can lie facing each other with the woman's legs wrapped around her partners waist. This position leaves the couple free to caress and kiss and the couple can, by changing the position of their thighs, vary the angle and depth of penetration. If the woman lies on her back with her thighs over the thighs of her partner, he can enter her while at the same time caressing her breasts and genitals.

In this rear entry position, the woman lies face down with the man on top of her. She spreads her legs and he supports his weight on his arms. If she raises her bottom off the bed slightly, perhaps with the aid of a pillow under her hips, then it will be possible to achieve deeper penetration. The man can also lie with his full weight on his partner, from which position it is easy to roll into 'spooning'.

The man stands, holding his partner in his arms. She wraps he legs round his waist and her arms round his shoulders. She can move against him by pulling herself up and down, and he can help her with his arms. This position can be assumed from sitting. It can, of course, be adopted in a very confined space, but it is quite strenuous. From this position you can return to sitting, or the man can gently lower his partner on to a bed or preferably a table, where thrusting can continue without so much exertion.

This position is ideal for when you are unexpectedly overtaken by the urge to make love. It does not require more than a loosening of the clothes if you want. The woman leans over the nearest available piece of furniture and the man enters from behind. It is good for fast exciting sex and gives both partners the opportunity to thrust against one another.

Woman-on-top positions allow the woman to more actively control the sensations, both for herself and her partner. The man has limited mobility and the woman has control over the angle and the depth of penetration. She can also control the speed of the thrusting to suit her own pattern of arousal. These positions are comfortable for women with large partners or where the woman is pregnant. One option is a simple variation of the missionary position. The woman lies on top of the man and guides his penis into her vagina. The couple can vary the position of their legs to vary the sensations. In another woman-on-top position, the woman can sit up. This gives her a full view of her partner, and gives her partner full view of her breasts and genitals which can be extremely arousing. By taking all of her own weight she can control the penetration to her liking. Her partner can caress her breasts and clitoris. The woman can face away from her partner. In this position he can see and sti