Oral sex involves using the mouth, lips, or tongue to stimulate the penis fellatio , vagina cunnilingus , or anus anilingus of a sex partner. The penis and testicles and the vagina and area around the vagina are also called the genitals or genital area. Oral sex is commonly practiced by sexually active adults. Oral sex can happen between heterosexual straight and same-sex gay or lesbian couples. Many STDs, as well as other infections, can be spread through oral sex.
Sexually transmitted infections: a guide for lesbian and bisexual women
Health issues for lesbians and women who have sex with women - Mayo Clinic
Economic and societal factors such as income, the effects of emotional support on risk-taking, and the power and privilege structures of society have all been found to play a role in the likelihood of succumbing to an STD, especially HIV. Among women, studies have shown that viral STD rates among bisexual-identifying women aged 15 to 44 years were almost three times higher than women who have sex with women exclusively. The same study also documented the difficulty in identifying women as bisexual, finding that even among women whose most recent sexual partner was a woman, more than half of women who have had sexual encounters with both men and women identified as heterosexual. Skin-to-skin and mouth-to-genital contact, as well as sharing sex toys and exchanging vaginal fluid or menstrual blood through manual stimulation , leave lesbian and bisexual women vulnerable to STD infection like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. This is particularly problematic for men who engage in receptive anal sex.
Can You Get An STD From Oral On A Girl? Your Guide To The Health Risks Of Having Sex With Women
Great question! Some STIs can be transmitted through skin to skin contact, and there are still often bodily fluids involved in sex between two vagina-havers. There is also a small chance of transmitting HIV , but this is quite rare, and would require the person giving oral sex to have cuts or open sores in or around their mouth.
Emma Kaywin, a Brooklyn-based sexual health writer and activist, is here to calm your nerves and answer your questions. Like, how risky is oral sex receiving and giving without a dental dam? Basically, what STDs am I at risk for when having sex with women , and how do I protect myself and my lovers? In fact, studies have shown that over one in four women who sleep with women will have at least one STI in their lives. For instance, research has found that women couples are more likely to both have bacterial vaginosis , but no one knows why that is.