Oral sex (Cunnilingus)

What is it?

Stimulating your partner’s clitoris with your mouth and tongue by licking and kissing the vagina, including the entrance.

Health Risks

Cunnilingus is a safe sex act compared to other forms of sex but it is not risk free by any means. If the lady who’s receiving oral sex has a sexually transmitted disease then it can be passed on if you have unhealthy gums, or mouth ulcers etc. Herpes can come in both genital and oral forms.

The risk of transferring a virus is heightened if the receiver is menstruating. To reduce the risk you could try covering the genitals with a dental dam (which now come in a variety of different flavours) or non-microwavable cling film (It has to be non microwavable so that there are no holes in it). Using these products are a precaution and not a necessity.

It depends on the individual and how well you know each other. It is thought that Bacterial Vaginosis may be related to oral sex but more research is needed on this before any conclusions can be made. The instances of HIV being passed on in this way are rare but it could happen in theory. Always wait a while after brushing your teeth before having oral sex in case you irritate your gums while brushing.

General Information

To make the whole experience more pleasant, hygiene is important. Obviously keep yourself clean but don’t use strong soaps or practise vaginal douching (putting water directly into the vagina) as this can unbalance the vagina’s natural bacteria, causing bacterial vaginosis, which produces that nasty niff. Keeping your pubic hair nicely trimmed will also help as will wearing loose cotton underwear, which should be changed everyday! (I hope you all do that without being told)