Oral sex health risks

Many people question whether oral sex is really sex. That depends on how you define sex, but one thing is clear—oral sex isn't inherently safe sex. Sexually transmitted infections STIs are definitely a risk, at least if you don't take proper precautions. Oral sex is a relatively low-risk activity for HIV transmission, particularly when compared to vaginal or anal sex.

So you know about using condoms to prevent pregnancy and contracting STIs during sexual intercourse, but what about using protection during oral sex? While the risk of contracting most STIs from oral sex is lower than for vaginal or anal sex, there is still the risk of transmission. HPV , or human papillomavirus, is well known for causing the development of abnormal cells that can lead to cervical cancer, but can also cause mouth and throat cancer. Condoms and dental dams can be used to protect all parties involved in oral sex. Condoms should be placed completely covering the penis.

Back to Sexual health. Find out about the risks of getting a sexually transmitted infection STI from different sexual activities. This is because infections can be present in pre-ejaculate fluid pre-come. Even shallow insertion of the penis into the vagina sometimes called dipping carries risks for both partners.

Oral sex is sex that involves the mouth and the penis, vagina, or anus butt hole. Some other words for different kinds of oral sex are "blow job," "giving head," "going down on," "eating out," "sucking," "cunnilingus," or "rimming. There are a few known cases of people getting HIV from giving oral sex licking or sucking. There are no known cases of someone getting HIV from receiving oral sex being licked or sucked.