Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio and irrumatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Analingus refers to oral stimulation of a person’s anus. Oral stimulation of other parts of the body (as in kissing and licking) is usually not considered oral sex.
People may engage in oral sex as part of foreplay before sexual intercourse, or during or following intercourse. It may also be performed for its own sake.
Cultural attitudes towards oral sex range from disgust to reverence: in Ancient Rome, fellatio was considered profoundly taboo,[6] whereas in Chinese Taoism, cunnilingus is revered as a spiritually fulfilling practice that is believed to enhance longevity.[7] In modern Western culture, oral sex is widely practiced among adolescents[4] and adults.
Oral sex had been considered to be a taboo or at least frowned upon in many cultures and parts of the world.[8] Reasons mentioned are that this sexual act does not lead to procreation, or that it is a humiliating and/or unclean practice (an opinion that is, at least in some cases, connected with the symbolism attached to different parts of the body)[citation needed]. This has been more or less the case in Christian and Sub-Saharan African cultures, in Ancient Rome, and Ancient India[citation needed]. Similar lines of reasoning have been espoused by some modern religious authorities in Islamic cultures[citation needed].
There is some anthropological evidence for cunnilingus as a wide-spread activity amongst Australian aboriginals.[9]
In pre-Christian Ancient Rome, sexual acts were generally seen through the prism of submission and control. This is apparent in the two Latin words for the act: irrumare (to penetrate orally), and fellare (to be penetrated orally)[citation needed]. Under this system, it was considered to be abhorrent for a male to perform fellatio, since that would mean that he was penetrated (controlled), whereas receiving fellatio from a woman or another man of lower social status (such as a slave or debtor) was not humiliating. The Romans regarded oral sex as being far more shameful than, for example, anal sex — known practitioners were supposed to have foul breath and were often unwelcome as guests at a dinner table.[6] The practice was taboo for public health reasons, as well[citation needed]. In Rome, the genitals were considered to be unclean. Oral sex was thought to make the mouth dirty, and (ultimately) to present a public health risk.
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Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio and irrumatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Analingus refers to oral stimulation of a person’s anus. Oral stimulation of other parts of the body (as in kissing and licking) is usually not considered oral sex.
People may engage in oral sex as part of foreplay before sexual intercourse, or during or following intercourse. It may also be performed for its own sake.
Cultural attitudes towards oral sex range from disgust to reverence: in Ancient Rome, fellatio was considered profoundly taboo,[6] whereas in Chinese Taoism, cunnilingus is revered as a spiritually fulfilling practice that is believed to enhance longevity.[7] In modern Western culture, oral sex is widely practiced among adolescents[4] and adults.
Oral sex had been considered to be a taboo or at least frowned upon in many cultures and parts of the world.[8] Reasons mentioned are that this sexual act does not lead to procreation, or that it is a humiliating and/or unclean practice (an opinion that is, at least in some cases, connected with the symbolism attached to different parts of the body)[citation needed]. This has been more or less the case in Christian and Sub-Saharan African cultures, in Ancient Rome, and Ancient India[citation needed]. Similar lines of reasoning have been espoused by some modern religious authorities in Islamic cultures[citation needed].
There is some anthropological evidence for cunnilingus as a wide-spread activity amongst Australian aboriginals.[9]
In pre-Christian Ancient Rome, sexual acts were generally seen through the prism of submission and control. This is apparent in the two Latin words for the act: irrumare (to penetrate orally), and fellare (to be penetrated orally)[citation needed]. Under this system, it was considered to be abhorrent for a male to perform fellatio, since that would mean that he was penetrated (controlled), whereas receiving fellatio from a woman or another man of lower social status (such as a slave or debtor) was not humiliating. The Romans regarded oral sex as being far more shameful than, for example, anal sex — known practitioners were supposed to have foul breath and were often unwelcome as guests at a dinner table.[6] The practice was taboo for public health reasons, as well[citation needed]. In Rome, the genitals were considered to be unclean. Oral sex was thought to make the mouth dirty, and (ultimately) to present a public health risk.