Online Encyclopedia
Oral sex
Oral sex consists of all those sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, tongue, etc., to stimulate the sex organs.
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Terms
Most people usually use euphemisms or slang terms when talking about oral sex. The term fellatio comes from the Latin term fellare which means "to suck." A common slang term for giving oral sex to either a man or woman is giving head or going down on someone (although in some regions, "giving head" refers only to fellatio). Done on the genitals of a man, it is technically called fellatio, but common slang includes terms such as blowjob and cocksucking, as well as many other slang terms. Done on the genitals of a woman, it is technically called cunnilingus or in common slang, eating her out. "Cocksucker" is considered a severe insult by some, and is one of the "seven dirty words".
Reasons
Oral sex can be a method of contraception (birth control) since pregnancy is impossible unless semen enters the vagina. Many people often choose oral sex as an alternative to intercourse for this reason.
While some people are turned off by the idea, many others find oral sex very pleasurable and use it even when avoiding pregnancy is not a concern, sometimes as part of foreplay.
Not only are the sexual organs sensitive and well supplied with nerve endings, the same is true of the mouth, tongue and lips, so the pleasures of oral sex are not limited to the person on the receiving end.
Techniques
Fellatio
The common term blowjob is misleading, as blowing is not normally part of fellatio. A common technique is to take the glans of the erect penis in the mouth while rhythmically caressing the rest of the penis with the hands; the testes and the shaft of the penis can also be licked with the tongue. Suction is often used to increase the pressure and friction exerted on the penis. (When the testes are taken into the mouth, the act is sometimes known as "teabagging" due to its supposed similarity to the action of dipping a teabag).
Depending on the preference of the participants, this stimulation will produce an orgasm and ejaculation of semen which may or may not be swallowed. It should be noted that intense sexual arousal of the penis will often produce a small quantity of fluid from the urethra at the tip of the penis. This fluid is produced by the Cowper's glands and is not semen, though it may still contain living sperm. The purpose of this bead may be to cleanse the urethra and prepare it for the ejaculation of semen that may soon follow, as well as to provide lubrication for the foreskin and glans during foreplay and intercourse.
A rarer technique is deep throat, popularized by a pornographic movie of the same name. It involves taking the entire erect penis in the mouth, the shaft bending slightly to allow the head of the penis to slide partially down the throat of the fellator.
A small percentage of men have the penis length and/or body flexibility to fellate themselves, or to autofellate.
In one technique, the fellator will hum, producing a vibrating sensation. This is known as a hum job or hummer.
Irrumatio
Irrumatio is similar to fellatio, but involves the penetration of the mouth as a passive orifice, making the involvement of the person thus penetrated a passive one, with little control over the proceedings. Most people dislike being the receptive party in this act. A slang term for this is "face fucking."
Cunnilingus
The vulva and especially the clitoris are kissed or licked with the tongue and lips. The entrance to the vagina can also be stimulated by the tongue. Often, cunnilingus is more effective in bringing a woman to orgasm than intercourse itself as it provides direct clitoral stimulation.
Comedian Sam Kinison, in an infamous stand-up routine, suggested licking the letters of the alphabet during cunnilingus.
It is possible to freshen one's breath (using strong menthol sweets, for instance), in such a way that the vulva does feel an impression of freshness. [1] Humming is also possible and efficient during cunnilingus, as in fellatio.
Sixty-nine
Oral sex can be performed by both partners at the same time in a sixty-nine position, named after the shape of the Arabic numeral 69.
Hummer
The receiver of fellatio or cunnilingus may find it very pleasurable if the giver hums or sings at the same time. This in effect makes the giver's mouth into a vibrator, though unlike a mechanical vibrator the mouth has built-in lubricant (saliva) and is more finely adjustable.
Anilingus
While the anus is technically not a genital or reproductive organ, anilingus—the practice of oral stimulation of the anus, also known as rimming—is often classified under the rubric of oral sex.
Health issues
Semen contains water, small amounts of salt, protein and fructose sugar. It is slightly alkaline which causes some to find the taste bitter or brackish, but neither male nor female sexual bodily fluids are in themselves harmful to a sexual partner, apart from concerns of STDs (separately discussed below).
Urban legend sometimes describes semen as nutritious and a good source of protein; however, this is at best minimally true. Semen contains only a small amount of protein and in any case is typically only available in small quantities during oral sex. However the results of at least one study [2] suggest that semen may contain hormones or hormone-affecting agents which can improve mood and lessen the incidence or severity of depression when absorbed via a mucous membrane (such as in the mouth, vagina or anus). The same may hold for semen orally ingested and digested.
Partners should be careful not to bite or scratch the genitalia with the teeth harder than desired. It is also possible for the inside of the mouth to be bruised by the penis if oral sex is too rough. People with Temporomandibular Joint Disorder may find that giving oral sex is uncomfortable.
Sexually transmitted diseases
Although oral sex is widely considered to be much safer than vaginal or anal sex, chlamydia, human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrhea, herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — possibly even HIV — can be transmitted through oral sex. It should be stressed that any kind of direct contact with the sexual fluids of a person infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) should be avoided.
Furthermore, oral sex should be avoided when the performer has wounds, sores, or bleeding gums in the mouth, or has brushed, flossed, undergone dental work, or eaten crunchy foods such as potato chips, all of which can cause small scratches in the lining of the mouth. These wounds, even when they are microscopic, increase the chances of contracting STDs which normally aren't transmitted orally and also can lead to more mundane infections from common bacteria and viruses found in, around and secreted from the genital regions. Because of this, many doctors advise the use of condoms in the performance of fellatio (flavoured condoms are available for this purpose) and the use of plastic or latex sheets (dental dams or ordinary plastic wrap) for cunnilingus.
Air embolism
If air is blown strongly into the vagina of a pregnant woman, there is an extremely slight chance that an air bubble can enter the women's circulatory system through the placenta and cause an embolism which could lead to death. There are very few reports of this in the medical literature, and it is regarded as a rare condition. However, lightly blowing onto the vulva is both pleasurable and perfectly safe.
History
Oral sex has been considered to be taboo to a greater or lesser extent in many Western countries since the beginning of the Middle Ages. In the West before that time, and within certain constraints, the act of oral sex was a more or less widely accepted activity in those cultures that practiced regular and consistent bathing.
Even then, there were still notable taboos: in pre-Christian ancient Rome sexual acts were generally seen through the prism of submission and control. This is apparent in the two Latin words for the act: irrumare (to penetrate orally), and fellare (to be penetrated orally). Under this system, it was considered to be abhorrent for a male to be in any way penetrated (be controlled) by another person of lower social standing during sex. This same logic also allowed a man to receive fellatio from a woman or another man of lower social status (such as a slave or debtor), because the man would be directing the actions of the person of lower rank. The Romans regarded oral sex as being far more shameful than, for example, sodomy -- known practitioners were often unwelcome as guests at a dinner table. The women of Lesbos, ironically enough, were believed to have introduced the practice of fellatio, and it is said that they used to whiten their lips as though with semen.
So, whereas in Greece, where there was a tendency to see the person "performing" oral sex as active and the "recieving" party as passive, in Roman times fellatio and cunnilingus were perceived to be a passive and therefore shameful act for any man to perform, and oral sex between members of low social standing groups was considered superfluous and was often viewed as taboo. Therefore performing any type of oral sex was considered to be a passive (as in submissive) act while receiving oral sex was viewed as an active (as in controlling) act. [3] The practice was taboo for public health reasons, as well. In Rome, the genitals were considered to be unclean. Oral sex was thought to make the mouth dirty, and (ultimately) to present a public health risk.
Today performing/giving and receiving/getting oral sex are both considered both active and passive. Gay men seem to consider giving head active, while straight women seem often to be treated as the passive partner when giving head. Oral sex is still nominally illegal in some jurisdictions (often under sodomy laws) in western countries and is expressly illegal in many other nations. However, these laws often expressly target same-sex couples or are used only against same-sex couples. Matters of definition entered prominently into the 1998 Lewinsky scandal, when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton stated publicly "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" even though he had repeatedly received oral sex from Monica Lewinsky. In fact, in a telephone conversation Lewinsky had after her encounter with Clinton, when asked if they had had sex, Lewinsky replied, "No, we just fooled around."
References
- Kaiser RT. Air embolism death of a pregnant woman secondary to orogenital sex. Acad Emerg Med. 1994 Nov-Dec;1(6):555-8.
- Hill BF, Jones JS. Venous air embolism following orogenital sex during pregnancy. Am J Emerg Med. 1993 Mar;11(2):155-7.