Dental Dams and Condoms for Oral Sex Safety

Is oral sex safer?

Oral sex may be a bit safer than vaginal or anal sex regarding AIDS/HIV. However, if you do not practice sex safety, you are still at risk of other STDs such as CMV, gonorhea, hepatitis B, herpes, syphilis, and HPV. If you want to be absolutely safe, you need to use dental dams or condoms during oral sex.

What are dental dams?

As the name suggests, dental dams are initially used in dental work to protect the throat. They are small, thin square of material made from latex. A dental dam works as a barrier between one person’s mouth and another person’s genital part. It helps you avoid coming into contact with your partner’s bodily fluids which may carry STIs.

How to use dental dams properly?

Dental dams should be used to cover the body part you are going to have oral sex with. To make the dam feels better, put on some water-based lubricant on your partner’s skin. You may tuck the dam along the shape of the body part for more realistic feelings.

How to DIY dental dams?

Take out an unused condom, cut the tip off, then continue to cut down long the length to get a rectangle piece of latex and use it as a dental dam. If you do not have any condom handy, grab your non-microwaveable plastic wrap and cut it into the shape and size you prefer.

How to use condoms for oral sex?

If using dental dams to cover your mouth sounds like a lot of work for you when you just want some oral-penile, you can just stick to traditional condoms. However, remember to steer clear from condoms with spermicides because they taste awful and they can numb your tongue. If you hate the taste of latex, go for flavored condoms.

Make sure you do not use an oil-based food product as a lubricant with condoms. The oil may interact with latex can damage the condom, compromising its protection. Also, when it comes to lubricants, always check the label carefully to see if they can be used internally. Some lubricants have sugar, which can be pleasing to the palate but may result in unbalanced yeast levels and vaginal infection.

Even sex toys need condoms to keep them clean. If you are going to pass a sex toy to your partner, change the condom. If you do not want to use condoms on your sex toys and you do not share them with anyone else, it’s important to clean them thoroughly before and after each time you use them.

You may also interest in:

• Oral Sex: Pros and Cons
• Get More And Better Sex With Condoms
• Can Oral Sex Give You Cancer?