Should you be using protection for oral sex?

A lot of people wonder if using protection for oral sex is recommended or not? Most importantly, if you don’t use protection during oral sex, can you protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases?
It is no surprise that oral sex has become a common sexual practice throughout the world, especially as a way of controlling unintended births without compromising on the sexual pleasures. According to a new study, more than 90% of the study population under the age of 50 years have recently (within last 12 months) engaged in oral sex (either cunnilingus or fellatio). It is noteworthy that this trend has increased significantly in the last decade.

Protection for Oral Sex:

Unfortunately, despite growing popularity, a lot of people still don’t know much about the use of protection during oral sex. According to a new study conducted on 1,373 students from UK, more than 56% of the study population agreed to engaging in oral sex in the past year, but only 17% claimed ever using condoms during oral sex; including 2% who claimed using condoms on a regular basis. Researchers have concluded that the most common reason why people don’t use condom during oral sex (receiving or giving) is the thought of reduced sensation or pleasure with condom use. However, there are a number of people who just never thought of using condom during oral sex or are not aware of dangers of unprotected oral sex.
Healthcare providers strongly recommend using physical barrier method during oral sex. This is mainly because individuals who engage in oral sex without employing any protection are at high risk of developing sexually transmitted diseases; especially gonorrhea and chlamydia as these bacterial agents have the ability to inoculate and colonize in the throat. Besides bacterial agents, a number of viral agents are also transmitted by unprotected oral sex; these include:

• Herpes – if people with oral herpes perform oral sex on a healthy partner, they can potentially give their partner genital herpes; likewise, individuals with genital herpes can give oral herpes to their partner with oral sex.
• HPV

In addition, parasitic agents such as public lice can also be transmitted to beards and moustaches via oral sex.

What can you do to minimize the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases from oral sex?

Maintaining optimal hygiene and modifying lifestyle choices can help a great deal at minimizing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases via oral sex. Some helpful tips to minimize the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases from oral sex are:

• Use of dental dams or condoms while engaging in oral sex
• Limiting the number of sex partners
• Learning how to properly use condoms

Speak to your doctor if you have any questions regarding the use of protection during oral sex.