Definition:
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the lubrication of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Oral stimulation of other parts of the body as in kissing and licking is usually not considered oral sex.People may engage in oral sex as part of foreplay before sexual intercourse, during, or as intercourse.
Contraception and Safe Sex:
Oral sex may be practiced by people of all sexual orientations. In heterosexual contexts, oral sex is used by some couples as a method of contraception and may be chosen as an alternative to vaginal intercourse for this reason. Oral sex alone cannot result in pregnancy. Under any normal circumstances, there is no way for sperm from the penis to enter the uterus and Fallopian tube to fertilize an egg. Ingested sperm will be killed and broken down by acid in the stomach and proteins in the small intestine. The breakdown products will be absorbed as a negligible quantity of nutrients. However, the act does carry a potential risk of pregnancy if semen from the man comes in contact with the vaginal area indirectly. This can occur if the semen in the ejaculation is carried on the fingers, hands, or other body parts; and comes in contact with the vaginal area. It is therefore still necessary to exercise caution when having oral sex to prevent pregnancy.
STD s
HPV (multiple strains), and other Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STD s) including HIV can be transmitted through oral sex. While the exact risk of transmitting HIV through oral sex is unknown, it is generally thought to be lower than other sex practices. The risks from most of these types of infections are generally considered far less than those associated with vaginal or anal sex.
HPV and Oral Cancer:
Recent study suggests a correlation between oral sex and head and neck cancer. It is believed that this is due to the transmission of Human Papilla virus (HPV), a virus that has been implicated in the majority of cervical cancers and which has been detected in throat cancer tissue in numerous studies. The New England Journal of Medicine study concluded that people who had one to five oral-sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in this activity and those with more than five oral-sex partners had a 250% increased risk
Miscarriage Reduction:
Oral sex is correlated with reducing the risk of miscarriages by inducing immunological tolerance to the proteins in sperm, a process known as paternal tolerance. While any exposure to a partner's semen during sexual activity appears to decrease a woman's chances for the various immunological disorders that can occur during pregnancy.
