What Is Oral Sex?

Some people consider oral sex to be a "safer" alternative, but this isn't always true. Learn more about the full scope of risks involved with all forms of sex and how to stay protected.

January 17, 2025 · 4 min · 735 words · Erica Harris

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsExpandWhat Is Oral Sex?RisksSafetySummaryView AllBack To Top

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsExpandWhat Is Oral Sex?RisksSafetySummaryView All

Table of ContentsExpandWhat Is Oral Sex?RisksSafetySummaryView All

Table of ContentsExpandWhat Is Oral Sex?RisksSafetySummary

Table of ContentsExpand

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What Is Oral Sex?

Risks

Safety

Summary

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Oral sex is an activity in which the mouth and tongue are used to give or receive sexual stimulation. It’s often performed as foreplay leading up to sexual intercourse, but not always.

Although in some circumstancesoral sexmay be safer than vaginal or anal sex, this type of sexual activity also puts you at risk for certain health issues if you don’t take the right precautions.

Learn about how to engage in oral sex safely and the risks you may face if you have oral sex without condoms or other forms of barrier protection.

What to Know about STIs and Oral Sex Illustration of a Couple

This common sexual activity involves oral stimulation of another person’s genitals or anus. Usually, someone is performing oral sex while another person receives it.

There are several types of oral sex. They include:

Oral sex will not result in pregnancy and has a lower risk of passing on HIV, but it can result in other STIs and additional health concerns.

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Having oral sex can increase a person’s chances of contracting certain STIs, including:

Risk factors that can increase the risk of STIs from oral sex include poor oral hygiene, ejaculating into the mouth, and having cuts, abrasions, or sores in the mouth or on the genitals.

Symptoms of STIs include:

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Symptoms of a UTI include:

Yeast Infections

There’s also a chance that performing oral sex on someone with a yeast infection will make symptoms worse and prevent the condition from healing.

Symptoms ofgenital yeast infectionsinclude:

People with thrush usually have white patches on the inner cheeks, tongue, roof of the mouth, or throat.

Your chances of contracting some STIs through oral sex are lower than having sexual intercourse without a condom, but it’s still possible to become infected.

While abstinence is the best way to prevent disease, there are steps you can take to make oral sex safer:

External condoms, internal condoms, and dental dams can significantly reduce the risk of STIs through oral sex.

What Is the Risk of HIV from Oral Sex?

My Partner Has Genital Warts. Will I Get Them?

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.RAINN.What consent looks like.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex - CDC fact sheet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex.National Health Services.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Urinary tract infection.Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of candidiasis.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.RAINN.What consent looks like.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex - CDC fact sheet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex.National Health Services.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Urinary tract infection.Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of candidiasis.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

RAINN.What consent looks like.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex - CDC fact sheet.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex.National Health Services.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Urinary tract infection.Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of candidiasis.

RAINN.What consent looks like.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex - CDC fact sheet.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STD risk and oral sex.

National Health Services.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Urinary tract infection.

Office on Women’s Health.Vaginal yeast infections.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of candidiasis.

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