Question 9

Tripod: Do you use protection during oral sex? Why or why not?
Do you have an answer to share? Click on the question.

Lydia
Female Escort

Yes I do. I don't think it's as important, but it depends, I guess, on if it's a casual partner, somebody that I'm not in a relationship with, and I'm having casual sex with someone, I definitely would use prophylactics for oral sex, definitely.

John Troyer
Creator of the Safer Sex Page

It's a big controversy, and depending on who you talk to, you'll hear completely different things. From what I've read, I think it would be a good idea, especially for receptive fellatio. But, there are anecdotal cases for woman-to-woman transmission as well. Now other people you'll talk to will say that it's certainly safer than other forms of penetrative sex. If you require people to be too perfect, telling them that everything they do is bad, it just discourages them. For me personally, I do. But if you talk to European health agencies, they say that oral sex is safe; if you talk to Americans, oral sex is considered unsafe. Of course, many people also argue that the CDC is being homophobic, because it's primarily a homosexual sex recommendation.

Susan Yates
Gynecologist

I think that, obviously, pregnancy is not an issue with oral sex. Sexually transmitted diseases are still an issue. Oral gonorrhea happens. Oral transmission of other infections. Certainly, the risk of oral transmission of HIV virus is less than when you're dealing with vaginal or rectal penetration. But it's still and issue. One has to always take into consideration protection, but also open and frank discussion with your sexual partner, so you understand the risks you're taking before you have a sexual activity.

Bob
Straight Male

Not for oral sex, no. I think -- and a lot of other people probably also think -- it's for intercourse. Not for oral sex. When you talk about contraception, most people think about the pill or a condom, not dental dams and stuff like that.

Kyoko Okamura
Harvard Peer Counselor

I'm not there to say, "No, you have to use a condom, you have to do this for every kind of sex." It's really a risk that an individual takes, given the information that you have, and weighing the factors of what is fun and what is not, how much risk you're taking, and how much it's worth it.

Michael Franz, Gay Male
Editor, Gaysource

In the relationship I'm in now I don't use protection anymore. I'm in a long-term relationship, and we have an agreement to have unsafe sex with each other because we're monogamous. Prior to that, I would mess around a little bit orally, but not too much. It depended on whether or nor the guy had a lot of pre-come. If he had a lot of pre-come, I wouldn't, because there's enough sperm cells in pre-cum to possibly contract a virus. There's no hardcore facts on oral sex, and it's really got to be everyone's decision. My personal decision was to play it extremely safe. I felt that there was enough that I could do orally, and otherwise, without putting myself at risk.

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LydiaFemale Escort

John TroyerCreator of the Safer Sex Page

Susan YatesGynecologist

BobStraight Male