A "crime against nature" is an archaic term used to describe certain sexual activities, including those listed below. These activities are still illegal under some state laws, but they are rarely prosecuted. A US Supreme Court ruling in the case of Lawrence v. Texas raised questions about whether a state can regulate the consensual activity of adults.

Bestiality - the act of sexual intercourse between a human being and an animal.

Sodomy - anal intercourse between a man and either a man or a woman or oral intercourse between 2 members of either sex. Anal intercourse is sometimes called buggery.

Pederasty - anal intercourse between a man and a young boy.

Fellatio - the oral stimulation of the male sex organ.

Cunnilingus - the oral stimulation of the female sex organ.

(Reviewed 11.4.08)