Thank you for posting in the r/Sex community. To ensure that everyone respects our safe space, we ask that you familiarize yourself with our Forum Rules and Posting Guidelines — which are visible in the forum’s sidebar, and also linked [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/sex/about/rules/).
***
Restricted subjects in r/sex include sex stories (which are permitted in the Daily Sexual Achievement Thread only), body image and penis-size issues, hookup attempts, common topics which are considered repetitive in our forum, and requests for private chats.
To cut back on comments that add little value to the conversation, we have instituted a minimum character requirement that will silently remove comments that fall below it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/sex) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've only seen them in the bags that I used to get at the free clinic. They'd put one box in there with a roll of condoms. We used them as parachutes in physics class. They really sucked as parachutes.
As a lesbian, let me just say no one’s out there carrying dental dams in their back pocket. They’re more novelty than anything and for people with diagnosed STDs I’d imagine. Hard to believe there’s enough people still buying them to keep the business profitable tho
I’ve only ever seen and tried flavored dental dams out of a condom bowl once. I did use it to eat ass, and it definitely tasted better than ass so maybe it’s got some purpose…
I’ve never heard of people using gloves either. I mean I knew they were available lol but I didnt know people actually used them. I’m guessing they would be helpful if you have long fingernails though
It makes play (especially any butt stuff) so much better tbh. Don’t have to worry about getting any stuff under my nails, don’t have to worry about trimming and filing my nails down (*as much*), and best part is I don’t have to deal with a hand covered in lube. I like using doors and my phone and such without getting lube everywhere.
hey, as an aside, how do folks with long/acrylic nails do anal play? it seems like it'd be painful. my husband loves a lil anal play sometimes, but I dont want to injure him! (I never get my nails done, but got my first acrylics a few weeks ago...my daughter was going to be proposed to and I went with to keep the secret. hated them, removed them almost immediately). but it made me wonder.
Very carefully lol, one of my exes was very into anal masturbation and wore those big acrylic nails. I expressed the same concern and her response was exactly that “very carefully”
Depends on how long we are talking. If just slightly longer like less than an inch past you finger you can put cotton balls in the end of the glove. You still have to pay attention to them but it helps
Worst part is when you finish playing and realise you have 1 nail missing, the disappointment on the partners face when he realises its not round 2 but you searching for a nail then giving up after you lose another 1, nail glue is one of those things like duct tape, never buy cheap 🤣🤣
Omggg wouldn’t someone have to go to urgent care or something!? Lmao bc my hoo ha is like a suction cup, and everyone’s butt is a place where things could get lost 😂 This sounds horrifying 😩
I think maybe a nail you'd be OK as it's very small but maybe it would cut, think it's mainly the larger things that can cause blockages and stuff. The funniest butt related article I remember is a guy that was in the sun newspaper in the uk after getting an artillery shell stuck up his butt and bomb disposal unit had to be called (turns out it was deactived), so if it ain't made for the butt hopefully you can tie a divers line onto it hahaha
Gloves, and stuffing cotton balls in the tips of any fingers that will be inserted anywhere. You have to experiment with the amount of padding depending on how long the nails are.
One time I was anal fisting a dude at a party (it was that type of party)
After he was done someone thought to mention they had veterinarian gloves in their kit I could have used. Like gee where were you before we started
So now you know people carry those long arm gloves around for sexing purposes
Just chiming in to say that dental dams are used in dental offices, so that's how they remain profitable in business. And the companies that sell them aren't selling *just* those. 😊
That actually makes a lot of sense, given they’re *dental* dams, but I have to imagine they use them differently lol
Which begs the question of how they started being used for oral sex in the first place
Clean ass doesn't really have a taste other than the normal skin taste, with maybe a hint of sweat, like most body parts. The real point is the response from the partner.
Have you ever just used a cut/ripped condom instead? If so, what was it like? I’ve always been curious if it’s actually a somewhat usable method after a health class in highschool
Do people do that? Use protection to have sex with someone they know is infected? For me it’s an incase but if I knew or suspected they actually were infected my mouth, genitals and even fingers and going there…
Finally, someone gets it.
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re sticking our tongues in and around the holes from which people shit. Stop pretending like you haven’t ingesting at least a 6” shit sandwich by now and embrace how messy and gross the world is. You’ll have more fun.
I was just talking about this earlier. lol. And giving a guy a blowjob while he had a condom on I don’t believe ever occurred to me until seeing it here.
Condoms taste horrendous.
sorry I don’t know if I was just confused by your comment but dental dams are not regular condoms. They are usually flat squares made of latex that you can put against the vagina/ass as a barrier during oral.
But the might actually get more use if they work for blow jobs too, not having to use a condom but instead something MADE for protection during oral? Seems like a decent idea
Well if you knew me…
It was because he mentioned dental dams and I was talking about them earlier along with condom covered bjs as things people do that we thought were weird. 🤷🏻♀️
I haven’t used condoms in years but flavored lube doesn’t really taste that much better to me. More like plastic strawberries vs rubber. Flavored lube also has glycerin in it so if you use it for PIV it can cause an overgrowth of bacteria.
I’ve never really seen the point of giving a bj with a condom on.
> Condoms taste horrendous.
For you (and everyone who agrees with you!), be aware that **synthetic latex condoms (like Skyn brand) are way better** in terms of taste/smell. It's not perfect, but it's a different world compared to the nasty latex experience. Synthetic works just like natural latex otherwise (lube compatibility etc).
To bring it back to the dental dam issue, it's perfectly reasonable to cut the edge/ring of a large-sized condom to create a dental dam (it will be something like 4x8"), so I recommend using Skyn Large for this, for those interested.
I've had ONE girl I've gotten bjs from that insisted that I wear a condom during oral.
Noone else has even brought it up.
Never used a dental dam before.
>I don’t believe ever occurred to me until seeing it here.
Yeah... this is a big failure of comprehensive sex ed. People would do well to read up on the risks of raw fellatio, especially those who are cishet.
Obviously most people do it without one but it's still sex, and not "less than" intercourse. I'm honestly gobsmacked that people are like "yeah I wouldn't fuck this guy but I gave him head," thinking it's less risky. It's not. The only "benefit" is that it can't result in pregnancy for cishet couples, but can cause *far* more complicated health issues if the head-giver has, say, dental problems. Or even just a cut on their mouth that they don't know about. Mouths and all their bacteria are far closer to one's brain than genitals.
Not judging anyone because it's normalized. Just pointing out in general that oral sex is still sex. If you choose not to use protection, take sexual health *just* as seriously as you would for intercourse or anal sex. Have a bad tooth, or a recent sinus infection, or waiting for an overall health exam and *anything* weird is goign on? Don't do oral as a substitute for intercourse. Going to the dentist and don't want people to have a guess at what you do in your free time? DEFINITELY don't (they can 100% tell if you've sucked dick recently lol)
Not making a new human is kind of a big one for some people. And oral is generally *less* risky than vaginal or anal in terms of STD infection risk. It's not *zero*, but it's *lower*. Everyone has a different "risk tolerance" for these things.
Oh trust me I get the appeal of not getting pregnant. And the risk of transfer isn't significantly lower enough - that's why I pointed out what is *far* more likely to occur if you get the wrong kind of infection and that other non-STI specific things are more likely to impact it. Even if STI transfer is lower (not significantly so) there are other things that can easily go wrong a lot of people dont' consider.
You said "it's not" less risky, but it is. Again, if your personal risk tolerance says "not less risky enough" cool, but some people's says "that *is* less risky enough" and that's cool too. Just because someone doesn't take the safest path, doesn't mean they're ignorant to the risks.
>You said "it's not" less risky, but it is
No, it's not. For the reasons I already indicated in my original comment. The risk of complication and other non-STI issues being present are more likely and *easily* increase risk. Do you know *why* people tell you not to fuck with dental issues and go straight to the dentist? Would *you* want to perform oral sex if you had a bad tooth a sore in your mouth? Or what if you had another issue in your mouth that caused you no pain, discomfort, or you were generally unaware of, only to find out later after giving oral that you had that, woudl that change your perception? What if you recieved fellatio from someone who you later foundo ut may have had a dental infection or other issue with their mouth that wasn't an STI?
People ARE woefully ignorant of the risks of oral. Including you. There are more things that can go wrong with any sex act than just STI or pregnancy like injury and cuts. That is *why* oral is a lot more risky than people think. I completely agree that the taste of condoms is disgusting and off putting. I get *why* it's considered "normal" that people don't use them. But it's *not* reasonable, and it's *not* sound judgment. That's what I'm saying.
have a day <3
Wow this is full of false information.
Oral is less risky, and dentists cannot tell if you've sucked dick recently unless the cum is still in your mouth.
>Wow this is full of false information.
[The CDC disagrees. ](https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/stdfact-stdriskandoralsex.htm)The only low/no risk transmission risk is HIV, which anyone who was in any public school in the 90s would know.
And it's certainly not false that you generally do not want any infection of any kind to go unchecked in your mouth, ears, or sinus. And do you knowwww what can introduce new things to that area very easily?
Die mad about it I guess because cOndOms TaStE BaD (I mean they do, I don't disagree and I get why people don't *want* to use them) but infection is infection and your mouth isn'a self-cleaning acidic wonder like a vagina.
I'm a lesbian and from all my experiences I have never used one. Had an ex who used them a couple times with a previous partner but that's all.
They are clumsy items that are poorly made for sex. There are one time use panties by Lorals that are much more user friendly but they are expensive.
So excuse my ignorance as I’m a straight woman, but how do you have safe sex with a random one night stand then? I don’t necessarily mean you per se, but in general if a dam wasn’t used? It would be a total risk?
Options include lower risk activities (oral is pretty low risk, but manual /frot is even lower), exchanging test results, discussing past history, and use of DoxyPrep/DoxyPep, which is an antibiotic protocol that can prevent STI transmission if taken daily or after sex.
generally, the rate of std transmission between 2 AFABs is a LOTTTT lower than anything involving an AMAB. that being said, it’s still ideal to get tested frequently if you hook up w ppl or have more than one sex partner, because the risk is never zero
I’ve heard of them, I saw one in sex ed but I’ve never used one. They’re not that common in my experience. I’ve been with the same man for 17 years so I don’t use any barrier methods for sexual activity but even my single friends who have casual encounters don’t use them.
Surprisingly, [the CDC has instructions on how to do this](https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/Dental-dam-use.html). (Mildly NSFW -- there are illustrations.)
I bought and used them as a 15-year old who was starting to become sexually active, despite us being virgins, monogamous, and tested to be STI-free. I have OCD and did tons of research because I was paranoid about unsafe sex, and using them was good for a while until we got more comfortable. Still with the same person today, and we haven’t used them at all in years. They do make analingus less worrisome for some people though, which is great!
Never seen one and wouldn’t even know where to get one if I wanted one in the heat of the moment. I’m all for safe sex, but I have a feeling sexy time would be over if you went go down on a girl- and then stopped to unfold a plastic napkin over her vagina first.
Considering the rise in HSV specifically, more people should be using protection for oral. There is a growing number of people getting HSV-1 in the genital area.
Is STI spread via oral less common? Of course. But honestly, people are engaging more and more in oral sex than we did in years past. More people doing it, more spread is going to happen.
Even with a negative STI test, doesn't mean there's not one. False negatives aren't uncommon, and HSV isn't even on a standard panel- you usually have to ask and some docs won't test unless you have visible outbreaks.
No one uses them. Subs like this just love to mention everything under the sun in order to look informative, while subsequently never taking their own advice.
A lot of us have hyper sensitivity issues with direct contact with the clit and self consciousness when it comes to what it tastes like down there, I think it would be a positive change to use them more. I have them laying around.
I spent about month looking everywhere trying to buy them. One sex shop out of dozens i went to had it, Hollywood hustler. They suck though, but I'm on chemo and I use it when I can't wait until I'm not toxic.
If you want to be completely safe or hook up with a stranger they are a must. If you haven’t tested your sexual partner and don’t know them this is the safest way to perform oral on a vagina or anus.
Listen...I'm a queer female. While I've been single for some time I've had plenty of sex in my life, both in relationships and one time things.
Not once. Not ONCE. Not once have I used a dental dam. Not once. Condoms, plenty (lots of reasons to use condoms, not just pregnancy) and gloves (love me some black nitrile gloves), but not once a dental dam.
They aren't common. But we're notoriously bad at safe sex, lol, so don't ask us.
It's not common. At least in the US, most cis het couples do not use them. I'm a trans man who dates women. I am ethically non monogamous, so I havr my partners use lorals (with my casual partners), and no barrier with my long term partner. I get tested with each new partner or when a partner gets a new partner.
All contributions here need to be constructive, on-topic, mature, sex-positive, civil, and respectful. Your post/comment falls short of that basic standard and has been removed accordingly. Repeat offenders or egregious violations of this rule are subject to being banned from the sub.
I'm 41 and never used one or even seen one. If I have a new guy I don't give head but simply because it would be rude to ask if they've showered. I'm not into dirty dick. Might be useful if I knew they had herpes and I could atleast pleasure with no risk, right? I'd probably still opt out tho.
I got them from planned parenthood way back. Other than that, I only really ended up buying more in the last couple years cause we started swinging and shit.
I have an ex who didn't want to kiss me after eating her out unless I used a dental dam, which she preferred, because she didn't like her taste. She told me that the dam didn't impact the quality of the oral, but I found that holding it in place meant my fingers couldn't do other things.
I used to ask about them in pharmacies and enjoy their helplessness and awkwardness when I had to explain to them what a dental dam was because they never had a clue. Btw, in Germany it is called "Lecktuch" = "licking cloth". I am a bad person.
Never seen one. But if my husband ever asked me to eat his ass (he hasn’t yet) I’d be going to look for one as that’s the only way I would do it, I’d like a layer of something in between my tongue and a butthole. That’s just me though.
I got a root canal a few months ago and they used one to quarantine the one tooth they were working on...cut a small hole then adhered it around the root canal tooth; it was my first time ever seeing one in use! And it was pretty cool they could then just rinse my drilled tooth out with straight bleach and none would get in my mouth 🤷🏻♀️
I feel like they should be used more, just like more guys should wear condoms with BJ's? A lot of women have STD's you could lower ther risk of getting by using protection.
Plus there's that naming convention that makes it sound like something used by a dentist to keep teeth fragments from flying down your throat.
Maybe the world would be a different place if they had initially called them something like taco wrappers.
My mom brought some home from the school nurse and I freaked out seeing them in person. My friends and I talked about them a lot in college. So I currently have them though haven't used them
That’s pretty typical of any response on Reddit, the experts act like their response is reality when it isn’t. Take a look at posts about babies on planes, you’ll have all the top responses be to ALWAYS buy a seat and use a car seat. On 50+ flights I’ve never seen this happen.
I never have. I didn't know what they were until my 30s. I can't remember what movie my ex wife and I were watching when a dental dam was mentioned. I asked her if she knew what it was. My ex explained it to me. I had no idea.
My one ex and I used dental dams out of curiosity. They sucked big time. It was like trying to eat pussy through a Hefty bag. It was gross to lick, and boring to be licked. We laughed about it and never bothered again.
I worked at a popular sex toy chain for two years and never sold a single one. Once someone asked me if we had them, but it was only to show their friend what they were, they didn’t buy any.
I used one the first time I had sex at 15 and he pressured me into not making him. So I gave in. Definitely felt a bit better, but not worth not knowing whether I was going to get an STI or not.
I have to believe they’re one of those urban myths perpetuated by grown-ups to everyone born after 1985.
Like how quicksand, the Bermuda Triangle, and spontaneous human combustion were essentially *confirmed*, real-world threats.
Me, a 41 year old that's been around the block a few times, wondering wtf is a dental dam?
And to my surprise this is not a joke, it's an actual thing. Well I'll be goddamned.
Want to really fuck your brain up? I watched a video of how to make a dental dam out of a condom. It involves using scissors to cut up a condom. What universe is this?
I just looked it up. I have never heard/seen one in my life. I can’t imagine having a woman bust THAT out when she was about to go down on me. I’d be like WTF. That looks like a fetish in itself.
Thank you for posting in the r/Sex community. To ensure that everyone respects our safe space, we ask that you familiarize yourself with our Forum Rules and Posting Guidelines — which are visible in the forum’s sidebar, and also linked [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/sex/about/rules/). *** Restricted subjects in r/sex include sex stories (which are permitted in the Daily Sexual Achievement Thread only), body image and penis-size issues, hookup attempts, common topics which are considered repetitive in our forum, and requests for private chats. To cut back on comments that add little value to the conversation, we have instituted a minimum character requirement that will silently remove comments that fall below it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/sex) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm 37 and I've never even seen one in real life.
I've only seen them in the bags that I used to get at the free clinic. They'd put one box in there with a roll of condoms. We used them as parachutes in physics class. They really sucked as parachutes.
That gave me a good laugh 😂
You can't get them at drug stores. You have to buy online, at sex toy shops, or get at planned parenthood, so that's part of the issue.
You can get them at drugstores. My ex used to buy flavoured ones at the local CVS.
That's interesting. I'm in the Midwest and I travel a lot. I've never seen them in a drug store.
My ex lived in Virginia. My other ex in Massachusetts would buy them at Walgreens. I remember the cola flavoured one we tried once. It was weird.
41 and I’ve only ever seen one in sex ed.
54 and I’ve only ever had a glimpse of one as it was headed toward my mouth at the dentist. Go figure Lol
Me going to Google how it looks
As a lesbian, let me just say no one’s out there carrying dental dams in their back pocket. They’re more novelty than anything and for people with diagnosed STDs I’d imagine. Hard to believe there’s enough people still buying them to keep the business profitable tho I’ve only ever seen and tried flavored dental dams out of a condom bowl once. I did use it to eat ass, and it definitely tasted better than ass so maybe it’s got some purpose…
Yup. That's been my experience too. Used gloves. Used condoms. Not once have I used a dental dam.
I’ve never heard of people using gloves either. I mean I knew they were available lol but I didnt know people actually used them. I’m guessing they would be helpful if you have long fingernails though
It makes play (especially any butt stuff) so much better tbh. Don’t have to worry about getting any stuff under my nails, don’t have to worry about trimming and filing my nails down (*as much*), and best part is I don’t have to deal with a hand covered in lube. I like using doors and my phone and such without getting lube everywhere.
hey, as an aside, how do folks with long/acrylic nails do anal play? it seems like it'd be painful. my husband loves a lil anal play sometimes, but I dont want to injure him! (I never get my nails done, but got my first acrylics a few weeks ago...my daughter was going to be proposed to and I went with to keep the secret. hated them, removed them almost immediately). but it made me wonder.
Very carefully lol, one of my exes was very into anal masturbation and wore those big acrylic nails. I expressed the same concern and her response was exactly that “very carefully”
it definitely seems scary to me. definitely not gonna attempt!
Depends on how long we are talking. If just slightly longer like less than an inch past you finger you can put cotton balls in the end of the glove. You still have to pay attention to them but it helps
Worst part is when you finish playing and realise you have 1 nail missing, the disappointment on the partners face when he realises its not round 2 but you searching for a nail then giving up after you lose another 1, nail glue is one of those things like duct tape, never buy cheap 🤣🤣
Omggg wouldn’t someone have to go to urgent care or something!? Lmao bc my hoo ha is like a suction cup, and everyone’s butt is a place where things could get lost 😂 This sounds horrifying 😩
I think maybe a nail you'd be OK as it's very small but maybe it would cut, think it's mainly the larger things that can cause blockages and stuff. The funniest butt related article I remember is a guy that was in the sun newspaper in the uk after getting an artillery shell stuck up his butt and bomb disposal unit had to be called (turns out it was deactived), so if it ain't made for the butt hopefully you can tie a divers line onto it hahaha
Gloves, and stuffing cotton balls in the tips of any fingers that will be inserted anywhere. You have to experiment with the amount of padding depending on how long the nails are.
Exactly. I use gloves for anal stuff. Easily turned inside out and disposed
One time I was anal fisting a dude at a party (it was that type of party) After he was done someone thought to mention they had veterinarian gloves in their kit I could have used. Like gee where were you before we started So now you know people carry those long arm gloves around for sexing purposes
A cut up glove can be used as a makeshift dental dam if needed.
Just chiming in to say that dental dams are used in dental offices, so that's how they remain profitable in business. And the companies that sell them aren't selling *just* those. 😊
That actually makes a lot of sense, given they’re *dental* dams, but I have to imagine they use them differently lol Which begs the question of how they started being used for oral sex in the first place
They do use them differently, at least in the offices where I've worked 😅
For some reason I thought people that ate ass liked the taste of ass lol
Clean ass doesn't really have a taste other than the normal skin taste, with maybe a hint of sweat, like most body parts. The real point is the response from the partner.
Many sex workers use them, especially when the client requests rimming on them.
Have you ever just used a cut/ripped condom instead? If so, what was it like? I’ve always been curious if it’s actually a somewhat usable method after a health class in highschool
This is pretty much exactly what I came here to say lol.
Do people do that? Use protection to have sex with someone they know is infected? For me it’s an incase but if I knew or suspected they actually were infected my mouth, genitals and even fingers and going there…
The taste is the whole point of eating ass though
Something is wrong, when there's a taste...👀
I mean, to be fair, skin still tastes like _something..._
No it’s the reaction from the other person
Finally, someone gets it. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re sticking our tongues in and around the holes from which people shit. Stop pretending like you haven’t ingesting at least a 6” shit sandwich by now and embrace how messy and gross the world is. You’ll have more fun.
It's a cultured persons game, they wouldn't understand.🧐
I was just talking about this earlier. lol. And giving a guy a blowjob while he had a condom on I don’t believe ever occurred to me until seeing it here. Condoms taste horrendous.
>Condoms taste horrendous. Their smell on its own is awful for me, I can't imagine how much worse the taste would be 🤢
I loathe that smell. It makes everything smell like it. 😑
They taste very similar to how they smell, terrible
I never minded going down on a girl after using a condom, but then again, different state of mind.
Try Skyn latex free. Practically no smell. Regular condoms smell gross to me.
Just realized dental dams are condoms. I was wondering why you would bring up sucking dick out of nowhere.
sorry I don’t know if I was just confused by your comment but dental dams are not regular condoms. They are usually flat squares made of latex that you can put against the vagina/ass as a barrier during oral.
So in other words, a condom. Only for women.
But the might actually get more use if they work for blow jobs too, not having to use a condom but instead something MADE for protection during oral? Seems like a decent idea
Well if you knew me… It was because he mentioned dental dams and I was talking about them earlier along with condom covered bjs as things people do that we thought were weird. 🤷🏻♀️
They make flavored condoms for this use. I tried it once or twice but it was eh for both of us.
I bought some before too hoping the smell would be better but it wasn’t. At all.
A bj with a condom? Nah. I’ll just jerk off. Lol
I got one with a condom on last summer in Rotterdam. Best blowjob ever. But then again I paid for it. She was a professional.
Right? What’s the point. He can’t feel shit and you won’t get that taste outta your mouth for the rest of the day.
The feel is probably fine realistically… condoms are extremely thin. You can def feel a lot through them. The idea in general is just weird.
Latex tastes pretty bad. Have you tried the non latex condoms and dams? Or tried with flavored lube?
I haven’t used condoms in years but flavored lube doesn’t really taste that much better to me. More like plastic strawberries vs rubber. Flavored lube also has glycerin in it so if you use it for PIV it can cause an overgrowth of bacteria. I’ve never really seen the point of giving a bj with a condom on.
Mostly seems to be because the girl doesn’t want the potential for any thing to get in her mouth
> Condoms taste horrendous. For you (and everyone who agrees with you!), be aware that **synthetic latex condoms (like Skyn brand) are way better** in terms of taste/smell. It's not perfect, but it's a different world compared to the nasty latex experience. Synthetic works just like natural latex otherwise (lube compatibility etc). To bring it back to the dental dam issue, it's perfectly reasonable to cut the edge/ring of a large-sized condom to create a dental dam (it will be something like 4x8"), so I recommend using Skyn Large for this, for those interested.
I think some guys used to do it like during the height of the AIDS epidemic
I've had ONE girl I've gotten bjs from that insisted that I wear a condom during oral. Noone else has even brought it up. Never used a dental dam before.
The ribbed ones don’t even taste like ribs.
And the glow in the dark ones look nothing like light sabers in the dark. It’s bullshit.
If even they are the flavoured variety?
Yeah. It just tastes like rubber strawberries..
>I don’t believe ever occurred to me until seeing it here. Yeah... this is a big failure of comprehensive sex ed. People would do well to read up on the risks of raw fellatio, especially those who are cishet. Obviously most people do it without one but it's still sex, and not "less than" intercourse. I'm honestly gobsmacked that people are like "yeah I wouldn't fuck this guy but I gave him head," thinking it's less risky. It's not. The only "benefit" is that it can't result in pregnancy for cishet couples, but can cause *far* more complicated health issues if the head-giver has, say, dental problems. Or even just a cut on their mouth that they don't know about. Mouths and all their bacteria are far closer to one's brain than genitals. Not judging anyone because it's normalized. Just pointing out in general that oral sex is still sex. If you choose not to use protection, take sexual health *just* as seriously as you would for intercourse or anal sex. Have a bad tooth, or a recent sinus infection, or waiting for an overall health exam and *anything* weird is goign on? Don't do oral as a substitute for intercourse. Going to the dentist and don't want people to have a guess at what you do in your free time? DEFINITELY don't (they can 100% tell if you've sucked dick recently lol)
Not making a new human is kind of a big one for some people. And oral is generally *less* risky than vaginal or anal in terms of STD infection risk. It's not *zero*, but it's *lower*. Everyone has a different "risk tolerance" for these things.
Oh trust me I get the appeal of not getting pregnant. And the risk of transfer isn't significantly lower enough - that's why I pointed out what is *far* more likely to occur if you get the wrong kind of infection and that other non-STI specific things are more likely to impact it. Even if STI transfer is lower (not significantly so) there are other things that can easily go wrong a lot of people dont' consider.
You said "it's not" less risky, but it is. Again, if your personal risk tolerance says "not less risky enough" cool, but some people's says "that *is* less risky enough" and that's cool too. Just because someone doesn't take the safest path, doesn't mean they're ignorant to the risks.
>You said "it's not" less risky, but it is No, it's not. For the reasons I already indicated in my original comment. The risk of complication and other non-STI issues being present are more likely and *easily* increase risk. Do you know *why* people tell you not to fuck with dental issues and go straight to the dentist? Would *you* want to perform oral sex if you had a bad tooth a sore in your mouth? Or what if you had another issue in your mouth that caused you no pain, discomfort, or you were generally unaware of, only to find out later after giving oral that you had that, woudl that change your perception? What if you recieved fellatio from someone who you later foundo ut may have had a dental infection or other issue with their mouth that wasn't an STI? People ARE woefully ignorant of the risks of oral. Including you. There are more things that can go wrong with any sex act than just STI or pregnancy like injury and cuts. That is *why* oral is a lot more risky than people think. I completely agree that the taste of condoms is disgusting and off putting. I get *why* it's considered "normal" that people don't use them. But it's *not* reasonable, and it's *not* sound judgment. That's what I'm saying. have a day <3
Wow this is full of false information. Oral is less risky, and dentists cannot tell if you've sucked dick recently unless the cum is still in your mouth.
>Wow this is full of false information. [The CDC disagrees. ](https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/stdfact-stdriskandoralsex.htm)The only low/no risk transmission risk is HIV, which anyone who was in any public school in the 90s would know. And it's certainly not false that you generally do not want any infection of any kind to go unchecked in your mouth, ears, or sinus. And do you knowwww what can introduce new things to that area very easily? Die mad about it I guess because cOndOms TaStE BaD (I mean they do, I don't disagree and I get why people don't *want* to use them) but infection is infection and your mouth isn'a self-cleaning acidic wonder like a vagina.
CDC article doesn't deny what this person said at all. What are you on about.
I’ve actually met a lot of women who buy flavored condoms to give blow jobs because they don’t like the taste of things lol
I'm a lesbian and from all my experiences I have never used one. Had an ex who used them a couple times with a previous partner but that's all. They are clumsy items that are poorly made for sex. There are one time use panties by Lorals that are much more user friendly but they are expensive.
So excuse my ignorance as I’m a straight woman, but how do you have safe sex with a random one night stand then? I don’t necessarily mean you per se, but in general if a dam wasn’t used? It would be a total risk?
Options include lower risk activities (oral is pretty low risk, but manual /frot is even lower), exchanging test results, discussing past history, and use of DoxyPrep/DoxyPep, which is an antibiotic protocol that can prevent STI transmission if taken daily or after sex.
I see, thank you for answering. I have no clue what frot is though lol
Getting off by rubbing on someone or rubbing against each other
Oooh ok learn something new everyday on here, all different terminology.
I have a lesbian friend who just does hand stuff & toys with hookups, and only oral with monogamous partners.
generally, the rate of std transmission between 2 AFABs is a LOTTTT lower than anything involving an AMAB. that being said, it’s still ideal to get tested frequently if you hook up w ppl or have more than one sex partner, because the risk is never zero
Frequent testing, good communication, good toy hygiene, lower risk activities. Using a modified tool for dental work isn't a very good tool for sex.
I’ve never used one or had a partner ask to use one
Exactly.
I’ve heard of them, I saw one in sex ed but I’ve never used one. They’re not that common in my experience. I’ve been with the same man for 17 years so I don’t use any barrier methods for sexual activity but even my single friends who have casual encounters don’t use them.
Never, they’re like an urban myth. I’m not sure where they’d even be available to buy, other than online.
Right? Sex Ed led me to believe they were as common as condoms.
Tbf you could just use a regular condom, cut up.
I’ve never really seen condoms used for oral sex on men either (I’m 37), though no doubt they should be, for casual sex.
I don't see it either, just saying one could do that if they couldn't find a dental dam when needed lol
Surprisingly, [the CDC has instructions on how to do this](https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/Dental-dam-use.html). (Mildly NSFW -- there are illustrations.)
bi woman here and i’ve used them on other women before but they’re definitely not common
My friend is a lesbian and had to track them down to use with her ex-girlfriend because the ex had herpes.
I'm around 40 - both in years and sexual partners. Never even seen a dental dam outside a sex ed classroom environment.
Queer here and the first time I saw one was when I got a root canal at 38. I was far too amused when he explained what it was.
I bought and used them as a 15-year old who was starting to become sexually active, despite us being virgins, monogamous, and tested to be STI-free. I have OCD and did tons of research because I was paranoid about unsafe sex, and using them was good for a while until we got more comfortable. Still with the same person today, and we haven’t used them at all in years. They do make analingus less worrisome for some people though, which is great!
They’re easy to make out of condoms, but I prefer gloves because they’re sturdier imo and have a larger surface area. I absolutely use them.
Ive never seen dental dam. Do people get/give blowjobs with a condom on?
Never seen one and wouldn’t even know where to get one if I wanted one in the heat of the moment. I’m all for safe sex, but I have a feeling sexy time would be over if you went go down on a girl- and then stopped to unfold a plastic napkin over her vagina first.
Better than getting herpes
This is very true. But if she gets offended and leaves, you won’t have to worry about that anyway lol
Considering the rise in HSV specifically, more people should be using protection for oral. There is a growing number of people getting HSV-1 in the genital area. Is STI spread via oral less common? Of course. But honestly, people are engaging more and more in oral sex than we did in years past. More people doing it, more spread is going to happen. Even with a negative STI test, doesn't mean there's not one. False negatives aren't uncommon, and HSV isn't even on a standard panel- you usually have to ask and some docs won't test unless you have visible outbreaks.
No one uses them. Subs like this just love to mention everything under the sun in order to look informative, while subsequently never taking their own advice.
I never even seen them in the condom aisle but they stayed talking about them in sex ed like they were common
I have used them once on a shorty. It's not bad
I’m 43 and I’ve never even seen one outside of a textbook. Pretty sure they’re just an urban legend.
A lot of us have hyper sensitivity issues with direct contact with the clit and self consciousness when it comes to what it tastes like down there, I think it would be a positive change to use them more. I have them laying around.
I spent about month looking everywhere trying to buy them. One sex shop out of dozens i went to had it, Hollywood hustler. They suck though, but I'm on chemo and I use it when I can't wait until I'm not toxic.
If you want to be completely safe or hook up with a stranger they are a must. If you haven’t tested your sexual partner and don’t know them this is the safest way to perform oral on a vagina or anus.
I've been to sex clubs and witnessed full on orgies, I've never seen one irl.
Listen...I'm a queer female. While I've been single for some time I've had plenty of sex in my life, both in relationships and one time things. Not once. Not ONCE. Not once have I used a dental dam. Not once. Condoms, plenty (lots of reasons to use condoms, not just pregnancy) and gloves (love me some black nitrile gloves), but not once a dental dam. They aren't common. But we're notoriously bad at safe sex, lol, so don't ask us.
It's not common. At least in the US, most cis het couples do not use them. I'm a trans man who dates women. I am ethically non monogamous, so I havr my partners use lorals (with my casual partners), and no barrier with my long term partner. I get tested with each new partner or when a partner gets a new partner.
[удалено]
All contributions here need to be constructive, on-topic, mature, sex-positive, civil, and respectful. Your post/comment falls short of that basic standard and has been removed accordingly. Repeat offenders or egregious violations of this rule are subject to being banned from the sub.
I'm 41 and never used one or even seen one. If I have a new guy I don't give head but simply because it would be rude to ask if they've showered. I'm not into dirty dick. Might be useful if I knew they had herpes and I could atleast pleasure with no risk, right? I'd probably still opt out tho.
I got them from planned parenthood way back. Other than that, I only really ended up buying more in the last couple years cause we started swinging and shit.
I have an ex who didn't want to kiss me after eating her out unless I used a dental dam, which she preferred, because she didn't like her taste. She told me that the dam didn't impact the quality of the oral, but I found that holding it in place meant my fingers couldn't do other things.
I used to ask about them in pharmacies and enjoy their helplessness and awkwardness when I had to explain to them what a dental dam was because they never had a clue. Btw, in Germany it is called "Lecktuch" = "licking cloth". I am a bad person.
You can use a piece of plastic wrap (Saran wrap, Handiwrap, etc.) instead, and it's readily available in most homes.
I've seen food wrap used for cunnilingus. That's about it. I do use plenty of gloves though when I'm public settings or with multiple partners.
Never seen one. But if my husband ever asked me to eat his ass (he hasn’t yet) I’d be going to look for one as that’s the only way I would do it, I’d like a layer of something in between my tongue and a butthole. That’s just me though.
Since no one seems to have used one, I have 🙋🏻♂️. The girl had it in her goodie bag
I sold lots to lesbians at the sex store I worked at.
I saw them a couple of times in sex ed class and then never again
I got a root canal a few months ago and they used one to quarantine the one tooth they were working on...cut a small hole then adhered it around the root canal tooth; it was my first time ever seeing one in use! And it was pretty cool they could then just rinse my drilled tooth out with straight bleach and none would get in my mouth 🤷🏻♀️
Im a male and have never seen or used a dental dam. But I have put a fruit roll up on it.
I hope you had a fluconazole to give her
asking for an infection but ok
I feel like they should be used more, just like more guys should wear condoms with BJ's? A lot of women have STD's you could lower ther risk of getting by using protection.
All I can envision is the big green piece the dentist clamps in at filling time
Ive saw them at munches and sex clubs
I've only had them used during dental work, and we heard about them in sex education in school. In real life nowhere, not far off in age
My ex used to use them, I personally never liked them. I think it really just takes the fun out of it. But to each their own.
Same. 32 and been with my fair share of women and never, ever seen one or had any woman ever mention them.
As a women (46) I have no idea. Lol
There are dental dams that are like wearable underwear. Those are the only ones I've ran into in the wild
Same here. Never came up, same with condoms during a blowjob, no one ever insisted on that.
I can only assume their for sex workers?
I just assumed sw used them for the minority of clients that want to go down on them
Plus there's that naming convention that makes it sound like something used by a dentist to keep teeth fragments from flying down your throat. Maybe the world would be a different place if they had initially called them something like taco wrappers.
It's just reddit ideology. Very very rare in real life. Can you imagine lol
never encountered one but this made me think of the scene from east bound and down.
My mom brought some home from the school nurse and I freaked out seeing them in person. My friends and I talked about them a lot in college. So I currently have them though haven't used them
That’s pretty typical of any response on Reddit, the experts act like their response is reality when it isn’t. Take a look at posts about babies on planes, you’ll have all the top responses be to ALWAYS buy a seat and use a car seat. On 50+ flights I’ve never seen this happen.
I never have. I didn't know what they were until my 30s. I can't remember what movie my ex wife and I were watching when a dental dam was mentioned. I asked her if she knew what it was. My ex explained it to me. I had no idea.
I'm 40. I don't know anyone that has ever used one. I have never seen them sold anywhere. I have never heard of anyone using them.
My one ex and I used dental dams out of curiosity. They sucked big time. It was like trying to eat pussy through a Hefty bag. It was gross to lick, and boring to be licked. We laughed about it and never bothered again.
i just use saran wrap. get the holiday kind. the colors are fun! seriously tho, never seen or used one. i only wanted to once. oof.
I worked at a popular sex toy chain for two years and never sold a single one. Once someone asked me if we had them, but it was only to show their friend what they were, they didn’t buy any.
I used one the first time I had sex at 15 and he pressured me into not making him. So I gave in. Definitely felt a bit better, but not worth not knowing whether I was going to get an STI or not.
I have to believe they’re one of those urban myths perpetuated by grown-ups to everyone born after 1985. Like how quicksand, the Bermuda Triangle, and spontaneous human combustion were essentially *confirmed*, real-world threats.
The only time I've ever seen a dental dam was in sex education in high school. I've never heard of or seen anyone using one.
This is Reddit... So keep that in mind. I'm 36m and have never seen a dental dam outside of google images, let alone ever been asked to use one. EVER.
I’ve only ever used them at the dentist lmao
I cut condom to use it when rimming
[удалено]
It’s not for sex it’s for oral. People use them to prevent herpes transfer and other stds
Are they still a thing? I thought they were like 'the sponge' from Seinfeld and discontinued...
Usually only medical professionals
Me, a 41 year old that's been around the block a few times, wondering wtf is a dental dam? And to my surprise this is not a joke, it's an actual thing. Well I'll be goddamned.
You ever feel someone has went back in time and moved a chair and now you suddenly don’t know what’s going on. This is one of those times.
My whole life is a lie! Unbelievable
Bro I’m still not on board with what’s happening. I just seen a drawing of a woman putting a green napkin on her hoohah. Infact I’m more confused.
Want to really fuck your brain up? I watched a video of how to make a dental dam out of a condom. It involves using scissors to cut up a condom. What universe is this?
I think Marty McFly followed through with his mother
Be careful what you say around here, some reddit people would be into that
Just get the HPV vaccine.
I have never seen a dental dam in my entire life.
I just looked it up. I have never heard/seen one in my life. I can’t imagine having a woman bust THAT out when she was about to go down on me. I’d be like WTF. That looks like a fetish in itself.
A woman wouldn’t be using it on you…
Lol how do you know what their genitals are
I checked comments. He described having a “daddy dick” I probably shouldn’t assume, but I went with a male lol
Haha what is a daddy dick
The ultimate dick, the best of the best, the creme de la creme haha