Oral sex and oral health: An enigma in itself

Abstract

Oral sex is commonly practiced by sexually active couples of various age groups, including male-female and same-gender adolescents. The various type of oral sex practices are fellatio, cunnilingus, and analingus. Oral sex can transmit oral, respiratory, and genital infections from one site in body to the other. Oral health has a direct correlation on the transmission of infection; a cut in the mouth, bleeding gums, lip sores or broken skin increases chances of life-threatening infections. Although oral sex is considered a low risk activity, it is important to use protection such as physical barriers, health and medical issues, ethical issues, and oral hygiene and dental issues. The ulcerations or unhealthy periodontium in mouth accelerates the phenomenon of transmission of infections into the circulation. Thus, consequences of unhealthy or painful oral cavity are significant and oral health should be given paramount importance for the practice of oral sex.

Determinants of knowledge on sexually transmitted infections among students in public higher education institutions in Melaka state, Malaysia

“…Amongst the three common sexual activities asked in the present study, oral intercourse was the least known sexual activity that can act as a mode of transmission for STIs. Oral sex is being practiced by both heterosexual and homosexual groups and usually perceived as low risk or safer activity [ 32 ]. However, our finding was not consistent with a study conducted among the first-year undergraduate in one of the universities in Turkey, where more respondents knew about oral intercourse as a mode of transmission of STIs as compared to vaginal intercourse [ 22 ].…”

Sexual Behaviour, Knowledge and Use of Contraceptives Among Undergraduate Students

“…For instance, oral sex is associated with risk of preventable infections 29 ; including HIV per se. Adopting the knowledge is attitudinal vis-à-vis a behavioural change wheel [30][31][32] .Hence the required healthy sexual behaviour is adopting a HIV prevention consciousness that being sexually healthy enough to engage in oral sex requires having a healthy oral cavity 33 , as well as the HIV-negative and/or positive partner taking medicine 34 . Other educational characteristics of healthy sexual behaviour include comprehending the impact of media messages and understanding that the drive for sex is powerful and can be integrated into one's life in positive and healthy ways 20 .…”

Conocimientos, conductas y motivos en los métodos preventivos para prácticas sexuales ororeceptivas en estudiantes de odontología

“…Una práctica de tipo no coital es el sexo oral (SO), donde la boca actúa como un órgano emisor de estímulos y de percepción sensorial (6,7,8) . Los distintos tipos de SO son cunnilingus, fellatio y annilingus (9) . Según el desarrollo psicosexual la boca se relaciona con las pulsiones sexuales (10,11) , pues posee una libido instintiva que se desarrolla en etapas (12) .…”