Violet Blue The Ultimate Guide to Cunilingus

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.HerpesHerpes is an extremely contagious STD that can bespread through contact with mucous membranes fromvulva to mouth and from mouth to vulva as well asthrough skin-to-skin contact, such as hand-to-vulva orhand-to-anus contact.That's why you'll want to usegloves with your dental dams (or saran wrap), since you'llprobably want to touch your partner's labia, clit, vagina,and/or anus while going down on her.While it's true thatthe herpes virus is benign when not active, the CDCstates that it's possible to contract herpes between erup-tions, when the skin is shedding.An outbreak can rangefrom a collection of blistering, painful sores to one smallsore that can be unknowingly tucked in a fold of skin.There is no cure for herpes (science has yet to cure any48 " THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CUNNILINGUSvirus), but there are treatments in the form of prescrip-tion drugs that can help prevent the onset of a breakoutand lessen the severity and duration if one occurs.HPVHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is the virus associated withgenital warts.However, you can have HPV and neverhave a genital wart; in fact, most people who have HPVdo not know they have it, because it usually causes nosymptoms.Approximately ten of the thirty identifiedstrains of HPV can lead to the development of cervicalcancer.Research has shown that 90 percent of cervicalHPV infections become undetectable within two years;it is persistent infection from HPV that is considered akey risk factor for cervical cancer.HPV is spread muchlike herpes, through skin-to-skin and mucous membranecontact when the virus is shedding, whether or not theinfected person has any symptoms.The symptoms ofHPV can take several weeks or even months to appear,and in some cases they appear only on the cervix orvaginal tissues.HPV can be detected by a Pap smear.Again, gloves and dental dams are advised.There is nocure for HPV but there are treatments, including in-officeprocedures including cryotherapy (freezing) and patient-applied medications such as imiquimod cream.Bacterial STDsGonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are bacterial STDsand can be treated with antibiotics.They are spreadthrough unprotected sexual contact.Though transmis-sion of chlamydia through cunnilingus is unlikely, theCDC tells us that gonorrhea can be spread via unpro-tected oral-vaginal contact, as can syphilis, if there is asore (chancre) present on your mouth or her vagina.HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS " 49InfectionsTrichomonaisis, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vulvovagi-nal candidasis (yeast infections) are infections that candevelop on their own through growth of harmful bacte-ria in the vagina, though they also can be spreadthrough unprotected vaginal intercourse.Trichomonaisisand BV can be spread through contact with vaginalsecretions for instance, when a woman touches herpartner's vulva and then her own but instances ofcontracting a yeast infection this way are rare.Theseinfections can be treated with antibiotics.Is Rimming Risky?Rimming, or analingus, is caressing or penetrating yourlover's anal opening with your tongue.Because thedelicate pucker of the anus is rife with sensitive nerveendings, rimming feels incredibly pleasurable to manypeople, and there are just as many people who enjoygiving it as getting it.For them, the charge is an unpar-alleled erotic spark.Though rimming is certainly enjoyable, it isn't avery safe activity.Unprotected rimming can transmithepatitis A, anal herpes, anal warts, and possibly virusessuch as HIV.Always use a barrier for rimming but ifyou insist on barrier-free rimming, get a hepatitis A shot.Read about erotic rimming techniques in chapter 10,"Independent Study."Safer SexBecause sexually transmitted diseases can remain dormantfor months or even years after exposure, it's possible topass on something you didn't even know you had.This50 " THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CUNNILINGUSis why it's essential to use barriers latex or nonlatexwhen coming in contact with a partner's sexual fluids.If either you or your partner has an STD, safer-sexpractices are required to prevent transmission.If one ofyou has a viral STD, such as hepatitis C, HIV, HPV, orherpes, use a latex barrier during cunnilingus.It mayalso be helpful to talk to your physician or an STD pre-vention specialist (see chapter 11, "Sex Resources," forhotlines and organizations) about the risks for transmis-sion in your particular case.If one of you has a bacterial infection such aschlamydia or vaginosis, you must use latex barriers untilyou've completed treatment.Risk is greatly increasedfor both partners if you have a cut or bite in your mouthor you've recently brushed or flossed your teeth, both ofwhich can cause tiny cuts and bleeding in your mouth.Don't despair there are many options out there for thesilver-tongued adepts who want to stay safe.However, not everyone who comes to the cunnilin-gus table needs to use barriers.Once you and your part-ner have been tested for all STDs and are sure you arefree from infection, you may decide to have sex onlywith each other.Or you may choose to become fluidbonded, a term that means the parties involved havehad updated tests for STDs and infections and haveexplicitly agreed to have unprotected sex only with eachother and use barriers with all other partners.I always tell new partners about my HPV out-break discovered during a routine gynecologicalexam some years ago.Even though my gynecolo-gist has not seen evidence of any cellular abnor-malities for over a year, I figure it's best to be upfront about it.HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS " 51We all make our own choices about everyday risks,and most of them are informed we know the risksinvolved in smoking, walking down a dark street atnight alone, having a one-night stand with a stranger.Life is full of these decisions [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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