Everyone learned in sex ed class that "if you have sex, you will get chlamydia and you will die" right before the teacher passed around the condoms. It was highly emphasized that condoms always should be worn during penetrative intercourse. The teacher explained how the condom must be put onto an erect penis before any contact occurred to achieve maximal efficacy. What wasn't discussed is oral sex.
Scientifically referred to as fellatio or cunnilingus for a man or woman, respectively, oral sex has street names as colorful as the sunset over the Blue Ridge. More often than not, these acts are performed sans protection, despite the risks of acquiring sexually transmitted infections. Ironically, we place so much emphasis on using condoms during penetrative sex that we are religious about it (as we should be), but often don't think twice about performing oral sex without any sort of barrier protection, exposing ourselves to the same diseases as during unprotected intercourse.
Many people don't regard oral sex as actual sex since fellatio and cunnilingus were left out of our sex ed curriculum as they were (and are) somewhat taboo topics. And condom use was only mentioned in regard to sex, so if oral sex isn't sex, are condoms really necessary? The short answer is yes. Regardless of whether you consider oral sex home-plate sex, just another base on the way or even something off in left field, without protection you are being exposed to the standard battery of STIs just as during intercourse.
Though the risk of acquiring an STI from oral sex is lower than genital-genital or anal sex, it is still not zero. Some of the more common STIs that can be transmitted include herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Human papillomavirus can also be transmitted during oral sex and can lead to throat cancer just as it would cervical cancer. Human immunodeficiency virus is always of particular concern, especially if one has had recent dental surgery or has other open sores in the mouth. One adage to lessen the risk of STIs during fellatio is "swallow or spit, but don't let it sit." But nothing is nearly as effective as using protection during oral sex.
Some STIs are so commonly the cause of oral diseases that student health facilities at many undergraduate institutions have a policy of recommending chlamydia and gonorrhea testing of the throat for anyone who presents with a sore throat. You might be shocked if the same suggestion were made to you, but reflect on your own sexual practices. If you perform oral sex on your partner(s), how often do you use barrier methods? Most likely never.
Protection during oral sex should be used. It's just something most people don't think about since it's not something openly discussed. Only within our generation has sex evolved into something more publicly discussed, with the activities going on behind closed doors moving to topics for discussion in front of those doors.
It only makes sense for sex ed to cover the previously unexplored territory of oral sex and how to minimize the risk of STI infection during this act. Unfortunately, we might have missed the boat on that critical piece of information. Luckily, it's a quick fix. For fellatio, the basic mechanism of the penis entering is still there, so use a condom. For cunnilingus, female condoms don't cover all areas explored, so dental dams are available -- or you can make your own from condoms by snipping off the tip and cutting down one side to form a rectangle. The woman's partner can use this sheet of latex, placing it over the vagina and other areas so both partners are protected from STIs.Remember, the risk of getting STIs from oral sex is legitimate, so you should employ condoms in any sexual act.
Katie is a University Medical Student. She can be reached at kmcbeth@cavalierdaily.com.
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