Oral sex safe?
Some guys don’t even view oral sex as ‘sex’ while others don’t see it as having potential health consequences. Although the risk of contracting HIV by giving oral sex is very low you should be careful of someone ejaculating in your mouth especially if you have a small cut, a blister or a sore in or around your mouth. Besides HIV, oral sex can result in the transmission of herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis and (yes!) even genital warts. So what can you do to limit your risks of infection?
The most obvious method of protection is to avoid oral contact with the genital area that has obvious breaks in the skin, such as a cut or sore, or warts or blisters.The same goes for if you see any blisters, cuts or sores on or around your partner’s mouth. Always avoid getting cum in your own or your partner’s eyes – besides the discomfort (it burns like hell because of semen’s alkalinity) this poses a risk of STI transmission.
If a guy does cum in your mouth spit it out and rinse your mouth immediately with mouthwash. Further precautions include avoiding deep or aggressive thrusting into the mouth or throat as this may cause damage to the fragile lining of the throat.
Although oral sex is arguably safer than unprotected anal sex, it still poses inherent health risks. Think about it next time you give head.
Health4Men provides free sexual health care to gay and bi men, including screenings for STIs and HIV plus free treatment. The organisation currently has two clinics in Soweto, one in Khayelitsha, one in Woodstock and one in Johannesburg. For more info visit their website, www.health4men.co.zaor call 011 989 9756 or 021 421 6127.