Oral sex is the stimulation of another persons genitals using the mouth or tongue. This can be done through licking, sucking or kissing the penis, vagina or anus. Sometimes oral sex can be referred to as fellatio (penile-oral), cunnilingus (vaginal-oral) or anilingus (anal-oral) but you may know them better as blow-jobs, going-down or rimming. 

Many people find oral sex an extremely pleasurable experience, and everyone has their own preference on what they like and how hard or soft they like it. Let’s find out more about how to prepare before oral sex, how to give the perfect oral sex for fellatio, cunnilingus and anilingus as well as what STIs can be transferred through oral sex.   

Oral sex preparation

Before you begin oral sex, it’s always a good idea to look for any lumps, bumps, sores or unusual discharge on or around the genital area. If you see any of these signs, hold off on having any form of sexual contact as they may be due to a sexually transmitted infection. Of course, some STIs may present no symptoms, so make sure you have your condom, internal condom or dam to hand too.  

How to give good oral sex 

Once you’re fully prepared, and your partner is happy for you to continue, you are ready to give oral sex to your partner. It’s a good idea to ask your partner in advance what they like or dislike so you already have a head start on the type of activities that bring them the most pleasure. This means you can do more of the things they like and less of the things they don’t like. 

Tips for good oral sex 

1. Don’t rush and take your time - this is a pleasurable experience for you both
2. Use lubricant to enhance the experience; choose from tingling mint or sweet strawberry 
3. Keep asking your partner what they enjoy or don’t enjoy - as this will help them to reach orgasm quicker
4. Utilise foreplay and begin with the rest of the body as this can help make the body feel ultra-sensitive
5. Remember don’t ever do anything you are not comfortable with 

Penile-oral / fellatio

Before you begin penile-oral sex, the penis may be flacid or erect. If the penis is flacid, hold it gently in your hand and begin to breathe, lick or kiss to arouse it. Once it’s erect, start licking the penis from the shaft to the tip. As the tip is the most sensitive area of the penis, you may want to spend some time gently sucking or licking around this area. Slide the whole penis in your mouth and use your lips to glide up and down. Your partner can help guide you on what feels good for them - some prefer to start off slow and build up to a faster pace. The scrotum and testicles are very sensitive too, so you may want to lick or suck this area too. Some people like to gently put a finger inside the anus during penile-oral sex as a man’s G-spot is approx 2 inches inside the anus. 

Vagina-oral / cunnilingus

Begin by slowly teasing your partner by kissing, breathing and softly touching their upper thighs - as this helps to build up the excitement and anticipation of what's to come. Using your fingers, gently part the outer lips of the vagina and locate the clitoris, which will become slightly swollen when aroused. Place your tongue on the clitoris and begin by making slow movements - some like to be licked up and down, while others may prefer circular motions - it’s a good idea to keep checking in with your partner to see what feels good. The clitoris has over 8000 nerve endings and is the most sensitive part of the vagina - so it’s a good idea to spend the majority of your time stimulating this area.  

Anal-oral / anilingus

While rarely orgasms happen during anal-oral, it can still be a pleasurable experience for some. If you and your partner would like to try it, ask them to kneel on all fours and crouch on the floor behind them. Using your mouth, gently kiss and touch the area around the anus - while lubricant enhances all oral sex experiences, some people love to use it with anal-oral and this would be a good time to apply it. Open your partner's buttocks and use your tongue to make circular motions around the outer area and slowly insert your tongue into the anus. If you are performing anal-oral on someone with a vagina, remember to not move straight from the anus to the vagina as bacteria can be transferred and could cause an infection.

STIs and oral sex

You can still get a sexually transmitted infection through oral sex. Some STIs are more common to be transferred through oral sex, for instance; gonorrhoea, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and herpes. However, you can still catch other sexually transmitted infections through oral sex, so it’s always a good idea to wear a condom - we have flavoured ones that are perfect for oral sex. Choose from Minty fresh, strawberry crush, chocolate temptation and blueberry blast with our Taste condoms.