Fluid Bonded
The term fluid bonded is most often used in polyamory and open relationship communities, and it refers to a couple who has sex without safer sex barriers. This term is most commonly used to refer to penis-in-vagina sex, even though oral sex could just as easily be considered fluid bonding. For this reason, and because it suggests a hierarchy in the relationship, some people frown on the use of the term. Regardless of the terms you’re using, it’s important to know what the safety practices are of the people you’re planning to have sex with.
Polyfidelity
This one might sound like a contradiction in terms, but idea of polyfidelity is that it’s an open relationship insofar as there are multiple people, but the people involved don’t play with others outside of their group or poly-cule. This could be a triad, a foursome, closed-group marriage, or closed-group swinging, or another configuration.
Triad
A triad is a descriptor for a relationship between three people. The people can be of any gender and the understanding is that all three people are sexually and romantically involved with each other.
Cuckold & Cuckqueen
The term cuckold initially referred to the husband of an adulterous wife but has been adopted as the term for the fetish where the husband is a willing participant in this arrangement. Most commonly, the husband will be present in the room to watch his wife with another man, and sometimes there are elements of humiliation as well. Cuckqueen refers to the gender-swapped version of the same scenario.
![Cuckqueen]()
Voyeurism
Voyeurism refers to receiving sexual pleasure from watching other people participate in sexual acts. This term isn't limited to threesomes - and it's a very common fetish!
Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism refers to receiving sexual pleasure from showing off, or having other people watch you having sex. Again, this term isn't limited to threesomes, and many people get a kick out of it in some form or other.
Dental Dams & Gloves
The more people in the bed, the more care you need to take with your safer sex conversations. If all parties involved don’t want to share fluids you need to take care with your hands and mouths, and think where you’ve been before you touch, or kiss, another person.
While condoms are well known for penetrative sex, (and yes, even for blow jobs!) their cousin, the dental dam, doesn’t get enough love. A dental dam is a swatch of latex or polyurethane used to cover the vulva before performing oral sex. If you don’t have one, you can also cut the tip off a condom and cut it lengthwise to make your own. You can even make one from a latex or nitrile glove, potentially leaving the thumb hole as a place for your tongue.
Speaking of gloves, while you might not think of them as a common safer sex supply, they’re actually wonderful for a variety of reasons. In a threesome, they’re fantastic because you can swap gloves between partners and not need to worry about swapping fluids, or you can even color code each hand with a different kind of glove, to remind you which hand is for whom. They can also help prevent cross contamination between anal and vaginal play - just swap gloves between acts.
Threesomes are a common fantasy and can be a major thrill. But, like any type of sex play, threesomes come with their own set of terminology. If you're new to threesomes, we hope you now have the confidence to forge ahead on a three-way adventure. If you've played in a threesome before, perhaps you've learned a little something more.