O is for Oral - a podcast by Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey - A to Z of Sex

O is for Oral
 Hi everyone!  Welcome to the A to Z of Sex.  I’m Dr Lori Beth and I am your host.  We are working our way through the erotic alphabet one letter at a time.  Just a reminder this podcast deals with adult content, so if you don’t have total privacy, you might want to put on your headphones. Today the letter is O and O is for Oral.
 Oral sex is the term used for sex where someone uses their mouth on the other person’s genitals.  It covers both fellatio (where the genitals in question are a penis) and cunnilingus (where the genitals in question are a vagina/vulva/clitoris).    For some, oral sex is a taboo.  For others, it is better than any other kind of sexual activity.  Today, I will give you a quick tour of facts and tips to do with oral sex.
 While there are still sodomy laws on the books in 18 US states, they are unenforceable now because in 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in a case where two men were arrested because they were performing oral sex that this arrest was unconstitutional.  The majority opinion stated by Justice Anthony Kennedy (who has just retired) said:
The present case does not involve minors.  It does not involve persons who might be injured or coerced or who are situation in relationships where consent might not easily be refused. It does not involve public conduct or prostitution.  It does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual persons seek to enter.  The case does involve two adults who, with full and mutual consent from each other, engaged in sexual practices common to a homosexual lifestyle.  The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives.  The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime. 
But of course, oral sex happens between people of all genders.  Sodomy laws were often not prosecuted when the people were heterosexual.  In the countries where oral sex is still illegal, it is homosexual sex that is being targeted still. 
One variation of oral sex is banned in any films and images in the UK and that is face sitting.  Face sitting where the receiver sits on the face of the giver.  In the UK the danger of suffocation was raised when the laws on violent pornography reviewed which lead to images of this being banned.  There was a protest outside of parliament 12 December 2014 against the new laws.  Fully dressed people sat on the faces of other fully dressed people.    The demonstrators sang Monty Python’s Song: Sit on My Face during the demonstration.  For those of you not familiar with the song, here is an excerpt. 
The most common variation of straight forward oral sex is 69 where both partners give each other oral sex at the same time.  This can require more flexibility than you might think.  It also requires the ability to keep one’s attention focused on the partner while receiving pleasure.  This can be extremely difficult.  Daisy chains involve a circle of people engaged in oral sex.  This can be a lot of fun but also requires the ability to keep your attention on what you are doing while you are receiving pleasure. 
Traditionally in many cultures, oral sex was seen as a way to preserve virginity.  Oral sex has also been seen as safe sex.  It is certainly safe when it comes to pregnancy as if no sperm comes near the vagina, there will be no pregnancy.  
In Ancient Rome, fellatio was taboo.  This was generally because all sexual acts were seen as part of a dynamic of dominance and submission.  So if a man performed fellatio, he was submitting which was seen as abhorrent.  Receiving fellatio from a woman or a man of lower status (like a slave) was not a problem as they were meant to submit.  Anal sex was seen as much more acceptable. 
Cunnilingus has been revered in many  cultures.  In Taoism, it has been seen as a way to enhance longevity.  In the Kama Sutra, it is seen as beneficial for both...

Further episodes of The A to Z of Sex

Further podcasts by Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey - A to Z of Sex

Website of Dr. Lori Beth Bisbey - A to Z of Sex