Article IV: Concerning Unnatural Concubitus with a Woman

I. Unnatural concubitus with a woman (tegennatuurlijke vrouwenbeslaping) is that which does not preserve the mode indicated by nature, in such a way that the possibility of generation is thereby impeded. Hence by that very fact it is against nature and gravely sinful, because it is directly opposed to the natural end of the genital act.

It can be against nature in two ways:

1. on the part of the organ in which copulation is had, while it is not exercised in the natural vessel, that is, the female genital canal, but in an unnatural vessel and undue organ, namely in the posterior vessel or in the mouth. It is called sodomy improperly so called, because it imitates true sodomy;

2. on the part of the mode alone, if copulation is exercised in the natural vessel and due organ, the female genital canal, but in such a way that, from the very mode by which the action is carried out, generation is impeded: either because the man withdraws himself before insemination and pours out semen outside the female genital canal, or because he himself or the woman employs instruments or other means by which the semen is impeded from passing to the uterus. It is called onanism, from the deed narrated concerning Onan (Gen. XXXVIII, 9). For if only the natural and due mode in situation, place, or time is not preserved, yet in such a way that generation is not impeded, the mode is only beside nature (ongepaste or ongewone wijze), not against nature, nor evil of itself gravely.

II. Onanism can be done in various ways:

1. on the part of the man: a. if he begins copulation in the female genital canal but withdraws himself before insemination and pours out semen outside the female genital canal; b. if he clothes the virile member or only its glans with some thin covering or sheath, a condom,¹ capote anglaise, within which the emitted semen is retained;

¹ It is so called because it had Doctor Condom as inventor.

2. on the part of the woman: a. if she uses an occlusive pessary (sterilet), that is, a certain thing introduced into the lowest part of the female genital canal for closing the mouth of the uterus, for example a metallic barrier, sponge, cotton, threads of linen, and so forth; b. if she uses a pseudo-vagina, that is, a thin membrane arranged within the whole female genital canal in which semen is emitted.

Besides these unnatural modes of lying together, there are other modes by which, after the action has been completed, conception is impeded, for example washing of the female canal by which, by means of a syringe or irrigator after copulation, semen is expelled by water or an antiseptic substance; or, immediately before or after copulation, the sprinkling of a chemical substance, for example anticonceptional powder, or the injection of an acidic liquid by which semen is killed. But these modes are rather against justice, to which they are opposed per se, than against chastity, to which they are opposed per accidens because of the intention of the agent. Besides, there are several unjust modes by which offspring already conceived is impeded from being born or living, for example abortion or craniotomy.

III. Observations. 1. Pollution done between the arms, legs, breasts, and so forth, of a woman is not imperfect sodomy; neither is it so in affection unless there is affection toward an undue organ. It is pollution with affection of fornication.

2. In sodomy improperly so called, it must be expressed whether pollution was present; for it is consummated by the emission of semen.