Did you know that studies have shown that among heterosexual adults and teens, oral sex has become more common than vaginal sex?
Cunnilingus, which is when the female genitalia is stimulated using one’s mouth, and fellatio, which is when the male genitalia is stimulated using one’s mouth, are some of the most pleasurable sexual activities one can experience.
And heterosexual adults and teens are opting to engage in oral sex instead of penetrative sex because it doesn’t lead to pregnancy. Another reason is because they think engaging in oral sex instead of sexual intercourse allows them to preserve their “virginity”. They also perceive oral sex to be safer as compared to penetrative sex.
The latter is not only an erroneous belief; it is dangerous. Engaging in oral sex can expose you to sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea, genital herpes, HPV, pubic lice, and chlamydia.
Gonorrhea, for instance, is caused by contact with semen or vaginal fluid through unprotected sex. Sore throat is one of the symptoms.
Genital herpes is caused by a virus that’s transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area; if a cold sore touches the genitals; and even if there are no visible sores or blisters, according to the UK’s NHS. You can get small blisters around your genitals that leave open sores; experience tingling, burning, or itching; and feel pain when you pee.
HPV or human papillomavirus can cause genital warts or cancer. It is spread through any skin-to-skin contact with the genital area, or through oral sex, among others. It can cause “painless growths or lumps around your vagina or penis”, says the NHS, but it may also have no symptoms, so you may not know that you have it.
If you go down on someone who has pubic lice or crabs, these tiny insects can climb from your partner’s pubic hair towards your own body hair. According to the NHS, you may experience itching; small red or blue spots on your skin (lice bites); and white or yellow dots attached to your hair (lice eggs).
Chlamydia is a common STI, affecting different parts of the body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid. Most often there are no symptoms, but there are women who experience painful periods, abdominal pains with fever, pain when having sex, or itching or burning around the vagina. The NHS says men can experience burning and itching around the testicles and penis, pain and swelling in the testicles, and a burning feeling when peeing. Sore throat is another symptom. At its worst, chlamydia can be fatal if untreated.
This is why it is important for us to protect ourselves during oral sex. When giving a blowjob, you can use a condom—the flavored ones are created specifically for that. When performing cunnilingus, you can use dental dams, although it is not widely available. You can improvise by cutting a condom into a rectangle and turning it into a sheath that you use as a barrier between your mouth and the female genitalia. Cling wrap is another option.
Keep oral sex fun for both giver and recipient! Unless you know for sure that both you and your partner are clean and have tested negative for sexually transmitted infections, always use protection.
