Would You Use a Condom When Sucking? You Should!

Dear Doctor Dear
By Doctor Dear (Obviously)

I once had a sex partner who wouldn’t let me suck him without a condom.  It was weird, like eating ice candy without first opening it.  But his dick was really yummy, so I just gave in, and sucked him the way he wanted to be sucked.
But what’s up with that?

JAMES L.
Marikina City

I have read from an earlier issue of Outrage Magazine that it is possible to get infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) through oral sex.  Does this mean, then, that even when just sucking or getting sucked, it is best that I use condoms?

ALAINE C.
Calamba, Laguna

My boyfriend and I have been practising safer sex for quite a while now.  The one thing that I continue not to completely like, though, is using condoms when giving him a head.  Is there any way for us to make the practice more enjoyable, while staying safe?

JEAN S.
Makati City

Damned if you do; damned if you don’t.

Almost.

Because you CAN get sexually transmitted infections (STIs – including HIV and/or AIDS) through oral sex.  But using condoms, as is generally commonly believed, can lessen the fun – much more so when you use it with your mouth.

So let’s take a closer look on this.

Firstly, the risk to get infected is higher for the sucker than the one getting sucked.  This is because, theoretically, infections like HIV enter the mouth (thus the body) through the tip of the penis, so suckers need to beware; and the one getting sucked, exposed only to saliva (with negligible concentrations of HIV), can somehow rest easy.  This doesn’t make the practice – especially for the one getting sucked – just fine, nonetheless, since oral sex is usually a prelude to more sexual activities, then being unsafe there, too, is going to be a big, big, BIG problem, indeed.

Secondly, the risks involved in getting infected (and/or in infecting) remain low – though, I stress, not that THAT makes them unreal.  Usually, the risks involve co-factors, including gum or throat infections, bleeding, trauma to the lining of the throat, et cetera.  Idea is, the more chances for the infection, any infection, to enter your bloodstream, the higher the risks of infection.  Having said that, go ahead suck – but: 1) Avoid pre-cum from entering the mouth; 2) Avoid sucking the tip of the penis; 3) Don’t swallow.

Thirdly, suckers need to care for their teeth and gums, e.g. don’t brush your teeth before sucking, opt for flossing, instead (or just use a mouthwash, preferably sting-free varieties).  It’s your mouth that will give pleasure – and it could be the death of you, too.

Fourthly, know the body of your sexual partner – e.g. when with a woman, avoid oral sex during her period, since menstrual blood CAN carry the HIV virus; and when the guy you’re sucking is about to cum, well, you know what to do.

And fifthly, use a barrier, i.e. condoms and dental dams.  On this note, there are options available – condoms need not be the boring plastic wrap we have in mind, what with the varieties in the market.  When buying, consider: the material used (most are made from latex or polyurethane – latex are stronger, but some are allergic to them, so they use polyurethane); size (be honest, a condom that’s too big will come off, and a small one will break, so pick your size); lubrication (for sucking, there are unlubricated condoms, thus ridding suckers of the oily taste); content of spermicidal (it reduces likelihood of pregnancy – don’t use for anal sex); and the style (there are ribbed condoms, for those who say “I can’t feel anything with a condom on”; just as there are condoms flavoured to taste like strawberry, chocolate, coffee, curry, mint, et cetera, for those who have apprehensions about the taste of condoms).