Oral Sex: Advantages and Risks

            More and more couples are engaging in oral sex and many people who are sexually active have engaged in oral sex at one time or other. Dr. David Delvin highlights some of the advantages of oral sex including that it can be fun and exciting. Dr. Delvin says that oral sex preformed on a women, cunnilingus, is advantageous because if done properly, oral stimulation of the vulva and clitoris causes most women to climax, even those who experience difficulty climaxing during intercourse. Oral sex, or fellatio, is appealing to men because “from the male point of view, the softness, warmth and moisture of the mouth clearly ‘mimic’ the qualities of the vagina.” The mouth however, has components that the vagina does not, which are useful for stimulating arousal, including the tongue- which can be used to massage the penis- and suction created by the mouth that helps maintain an erection. Fellatio is especially advantageous for older men because the suction created by the mouth helps increase the potency of a man’s erection. Dr. Delvin says that “so ingrained is [the] instinct to impregnate a woman that many men appear keen to accept any available female orifice- even if it’s not the vagina. That’s why a very high proportion of men desire oral sex.”

            Oral sex can be a fun alternative to intercourse and has the benefit of helping to avoid unwanted pregnancies. However, there are risks associated with oral sex, the most prominent being throat cancer caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Chlamydia and gonorrhea of the throat have also been observed in patients and are believed to have been transmitted during the practice of oral sex. Dr. Delvin recommends only engaging in oral sex with a regular partner, but suggest that people who enjoy oral sex should not worry too much because “most people who catch HPV do not get cancer.” It is always a good idea to use safer sex practices though, which for oral sex include the use of condoms during fellatio and dental dams during cunnilingus.

Delvin, David- http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/malesexualresponse.htm

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex-and-relationships/oral-sex.htm