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Going Down is Coming Up: Oral Sex and its Confusions

Considering it matches intercourse as common sexual fantasy, as an acceptable and prevalent sexual act, as a part of the normative American sexual script, as a popular Google search term (47 vs. 42 million hits, respectively), and as a method of facilitating presidential impeachments (leading 1-0 in this category), oral sex is still somewhat of a puzzlement—a slippery concept of ambiguous status.

For example, despite periodic media frenzies bemoaning an epidemic of casual teenage oral sex, research suggests that most adolescents and young adults experience oral sex in the context of a romantic relationship and perceive it as an intimate sexual act. Moreover, having oral sex with…

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Featured

 Does Oral Sex Affect Your Health?

Before embarking oral sex adventure and experiencing erotic ecstasy, many men and women never bother to ask themselves how oral sex affects our health. Moreover, they never question the hygienic aspect of it and are sometimes ashamed of the scents their own body produces.

 How Our Sex Habits May Affect Our HPV and Cancer Risk

Certain sex practices, at certain ages, increased the risk of throat cancers related to human papillomavirus.

 New Study Shows Headjobs Might Be Giving You Cancer

Researchers from John Hopkins University found that frequent and "intense" oral sex could greatly increase the risk of mouth and throat cancer.

 The Persistent Myth About Oral Sex

Misconception: You Can’t Get an S.T.D. From Oral Sex. Actually: You sure can — and many do.

Articles of Interest

Oral Sex Is Fueling the Global Spread of Untreatable Gonorrhea

Now in 50 countries. We repeat: UNTREATABLE.

Oral Sex – What You Should Know…

Oral sex, like other methods of sex, carries with it the risk of serious, untreatable and even life-threatening diseases in both men and women.

All the secrets about oral sex

The goal about sex is simple: to have a great time. But also, of course, to have a good time.

Americans should be more afraid of HPV

HPV-related oral and genital cancers are on the rise — yet we're under-using the vaccine that can prevent them.

Are You There God? It's Me, Monica

How nice girls got so casual about oral sex.

Health Risks of Oral Sex

Long known to cause cervical cancer, the pervasive but often silent human papillomavirus (HPV) has been finding its way into women's mouths.

How risky is oral sex?

A CDC report reminds that it can be dangerous -- but the risks are more complicated than we think.

How to have Oral Sex

Deciding whether to have oral sex is a very personal choice. Only you and your partner can know if you are ready to experiment with oral sex. Think about whether it feels right, and whether you are both comfortable with the decision.

HPV Through Oral Sex Could Become 'Leading Cause Of Mouth Cancer', Experts Predict

Human papilloma virus (HPV) passed through oral sex could soon overtake smoking to become the leading cause of mouth cancer among men and women, health experts claim.

If You Want More Oral Sex, You’re Not Alone. Here’s How To Ask For It

Whether you call it going down, giving a blowjob, eating out, or you’re fancy and use the terms cunnilingus and fellatio, you're not alone if you love oral sex.

Is It Safe?: Get The Blow-by-Blow on Oral Sex

Most people believe that oral sex is “safe” sex or not sex at all. Despite that misconception, having oral sex is risky sexual behavior that puts all participants involved in jeopardy of contracting a number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infections.

Is oral sex demeaning to women?

“[Oral sex is] a great way of receiving pleasure, and when you are giving oral sex you give the gift of pleasure,” says Morrissette. “As far as sexual acts go, it’s very beautiful because we are surrendering and selflessly giving. There is a trust and intimacy that should be the base of all sexual experiences.”

Nobody Uses Dental Dams

Their potential to prevent more common STDs has gone largely unrealized. Juliet Richters, a former professor of sexual health at the University of New South Wales, is one of few researchers who have performed quantitative research on dental-dam use.

Open-Mouthed Wonder

Let’s recap the overall patterns: Oral sex was stigmatized. The stigma has faded. Oral sex is becoming more commonly reported, through some combination of increased activity and decreased stigma. Nevertheless, vaginal experience remains more universal, and vaginal sex is far more frequent.

Oral Sex and HIV Risk

There is little to no risk of getting or transmitting HIV from oral sex. Other STDs and hepatitis can be transmitted during oral sex. Latex barriers and medicines to prevent and treat HIV can further reduce the very low risk of getting HIV from oral sex.

Oral sex and oral health: An enigma in itself

However, although the risk of STD transmission is far greater during vaginal and anal sex than during oral sex, the increasing practice of oral sex, low rates of barrier method use, and the finding that first oral sex often occurs prior to first vaginal or anal sex will help increase the relative importance of oral sex as a mode of transmission for genital pathogens. HIV, other STDs...

Oral Sex and STIs

Can someone be infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from oral sex? Yes. Many STIs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, can be spread through oral sex. However, the chances of giving or getting STIs during oral sex can be lowered by using a condom or dental dam.

Oral sex and STIs: we look at the infection risks

However, a lot of people do – quite understandably – get concerned about whether oral love play could give them any infection. And around 2010, serious worries began to emerge about whether oral sex can give people human papilloma virus (HPV) in the throat area and whether this could lead to cancer. By 2013, it was clear that these fears were justified. Also experts have recently pointed out that there appears to be some significant risk of acquiring chlamydia and gonorrhoea through oral sexual activity.

Scientists Explain Why We Have Oral Sex

Aside from the fact that, you know, it feels good.

STDs...The Latest is...Head and Neck Cancer

The incidence of head and neck cancer is going down. The bad news is another type of head and neck cancer is on the rise and is related to a common STD...HPV the same virus implicated in cervical cancer. Could oral sex play a role?

STIs Are Spreading Through Oral Sex As ‘Very Few People’ Use Condoms

It’s thought oral sex is now the ‘principal mode of transmission of drug-resistant gonorrhoea’.

Super Gonorrhea Is Spreading: What's Oral Sex Got To Do With It

You never want to see the words "gonorrhea" and "super" in the same sentence, such as "super, you have gonorrhea" or "gonorrhea is super." However, "super" gonorrhea is becoming an increasing reality around the world.

Super Gonorrhea Is Spreading: What's Oral Sex Got To Do With It

Why is antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea spreading? One problem is unprotected oral sex. Remember, unprotected oral sex is not "safe sex." (You know the joke that the only safe unprotected sex is when you are in different zip codes.)

The Final Word on What You Can Catch From Oral Sex

Follow the same rules that porn stars use to stay STI-free.

The Specific Horror of Unwanted Oral Sex

Harvey Weinstein is accused of doing it to Annabella Sciorra and Mimi Haleyi. Years ago, a man did it to me.

What's The Protocol When It Comes To Telling Your Partner You Have HPV?

"It doesn't seem as necessary to disclose that you have HPV as it does Gonorrhea or Chlamydia," she told me, "but I think it's still important to give that information to a partner and have them decide what to do with it."

Why A Woman Suffered An Allergic Reaction From Oral Sex

Could this be a seminal case? The recent issue of BMJ Case Reports included a story that may someday change warnings about antibiotics and semen.

Resources

5 Health-Related Oral Sex Questions Everybody Should Know The Answers To

“Oral sex is not safe sex,” says Terri Warren, RN, owner of Westover Heights Clinic in Portland, Ore., a private clinic specializing in STDs. “It’s safer sex, but it’s definitely not safe sex — Martin Downs, MPH

EmbarrassingProblems.com

It is possible to catch infections by oral sex but, in general, the chances are probably lower than with penetrative sex. The risks also depend on whether you are the partner performing oral sex, or the partner who is having it done to them.