4 facts about oral sex

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Thai Bang - Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Many years ago, talking about oral sex was a very sensitive thing, even taboo. Now, we can hear about this a lot in the mass media or on late-night TV shows.
For adults, oral sex is seen as enjoyable and healthy. However, there are still many people who are not fully aware of this type of sex relationship. Here are four facts about oral sex that may surprise you.

How about cancer? Exactly. "You can get throat cancer from having oral sex," says American Cancer Society Medical Director Otis Brawley, MD.
Not every oral sex will cause cancer. The main cause comes from a person infected with a virus called papillomavirus (HPV). The virus can be passed from person to person during sexual intercourse, including oral sex. The HPV virus is one of the possible causes of throat and tonsil cancers. If you are not exposed to the HPV virus during oral sex, there is no risk of cancer.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 found that the risk of oropharyngeal cancer was higher in people who had oral sex with at least six different partners. Both men and women can get HPV infection in the throat, most commonly in heterosexual men between the ages of 40 and 50. However, doctors say the cancer is cancer. Viral sore throats are easier to treat than those caused by factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Currently, the best method of prevention is still unclear, HPV vaccination may be one of the ways to prevent oropharyngeal cancer caused by oral sex.

According to Dr. Louanne Cole Weston, PhD, sex therapist, among adults, oral sex causes stress and increases intimacy for couples. Stress about oral sex often stems from hygiene issues, she says. "One person won't want to take it on because that person is worried about the other person's reaction," says Weston. Some people may also worry about their performance - doing well to please the other person or responding appropriately.
In other cases, experience oral sex as a "relationship enhancer" and "a very intimate connection" shared with the partner. "It's about being able to look into each other and see them entering into each other's really private spaces," Weston added.

Several sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV, herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, HPV, and viral hepatitis can be transmitted through oral sex.
According to Terri Warren, RN, owner of Westover Heights Clinic in Portland (USA) - a private clinic that specializes in STDs, says: "Oral sex is not safe sex. It's just safe sex. It is a safer method of sex than others, but it is not absolutely safe.”
The risks depend on many different factors, including how many partners you have, your gender and specific oral sex acts you perform.To reduce your risk of STIs, you can use a condom that covers your penis, or a plastic or latex "mouth guard" placed in the vulva or anus
In addition, you need to be screened for social diseases in order to detect the disease early for effective treatment and avoid complications.

According to Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, PhD, professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco (USA), "Many U.S. teenagers have oral sex before they have vaginal sex. religion. And they don't see this as fraught with danger. Compared to vaginal sex, they really don't see it as a big deal."
Previous Halpern-Felsher surveys found that most teenagers think oral sex will not put them at risk for social, emotional or health problems. Other surveys also found adolescents who said they only had oral sex because they were less likely to contract an STI than those who had vaginal sex, or sex. vagina and mouth.
In another survey, 425 9th graders in the same group were asked open-ended questions about why they think people their age would have oral sex. Here are their top five:
Looking for fun. Improve relationship. Famous. Curious. Less risky than vaginal sex. The reasons for oral sex are different between men and women. Pleasure is the number one reason revealed by men. As for the women, they said their main motivation was to improve their relationship.

Reference source: Webmd.com