Viruses
John Melford in Pocket Guide to Cancer, 2017
Human papillomavirus is transmitted via penetrative sex, genital contact, and quite possibly, oral sex. The jury is still out on kissing. Worldwide, human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted disease in adults. The virus is more prevalent in those who were sexually active at an early age and promiscuous. Rates of infection have been found to be lower in those who have never had it so good, and in those who have never had it. For instance, incidence rates are lower in nuns. Around 25% of mouth and 35% of throat cancers are human papillomavirus related. The types of human papillomavirus found in the mouth are almost entirely sexually transmitted, so it’s likely that oral sex is the primary cause of infection. For the aficionados, occurrence rates suggest performing cunnilingus is riskier that performing fellatio.
The Natural History and Epidemiology of Herpes Simplex Viruses
Marie Studahl, Paola Cinque, Tomas Bergström in Herpes Simplex Viruses, 2017
The decline in the prevalence of HSV-1 antibodies in the younger age groups among higher SES populations in various countries represents one of the major factors responsible for the increasing trends of genital HSV-1 infections. In such young individuals, 60–80% are seronegative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies, and are thereby more likely to acquire HSV infection of either type. As noted later for HSV-2 in the U.S. NHANES studies (46–49), the pool of HSV-2 in young white male or female individuals, particularly < 20 years of age, is still very low, affecting 0.5–2%. The pool of HSV-1, mostly related to oral herpes, is 20–40%. Assuming that the reactivation of both oral HSV-1 and genital HSV-2 is overall approximately the same, it would appear that heterosexual females are ~20 times more likely to contract genital herpes from a male partner with recurrent oral HSV-1—via oral sex—than one with a recurrent genital HSV-2 infection. Assuming also that the frequency of oral–genital and genital–genital sexual acts are about the same, and with the appreciation of the greater vulnerability of the female genital tract to infection with either HSV type, it would not be unexpected to find that primary genital HSV-2 is being replaced by genital HSV-1, particularly in adolescent females and young women. A coincidence of several events has apparently increased the more general oral-sex practices—both fellatio and cunnilingus—in adolescent and young adults during Phase III (reviewed in 87, 126): (a) the overall “sexual liberation” with several surveys indicating that 50–80% of teenagers practice oral sex, often as part of a casual relationship; (b) the impact of HIV with the belief that oral sex is “safe sex”; (c) the concept that oral sex is not “real sex,” fulfilling virginity desires and abstention pledges.
Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Women’s Sexual Pleasure: A Scoping Review
Published in International Journal of Sexual Health, 2021
Joana Reis, Leonor de Oliveira, Cátia Oliveira, Pedro Nobre
A qualitative study exploring women’s attitudes and experiences of cunnilingus found that receiving oral sex was viewed as central to sexual pleasure and orgasm by some women, although some viewed it as uncomfortable or less intimate than intercourse (Backstrom et al., 2012). In a quantitative study, 69% of women reported receiving oral sex was very pleasurable, whilst only 28% considered giving oral sex was very pleasurable (Wood et al., 2016). The same study found higher pleasure ratings for giving and receiving oral sex to a committed partner than to a casual partner. Receiving oral sex was rated as one of the highest sexually pleasurable activities for women (Barnett & Melugin, 2016; Pinkerton et al., 2003). In another study, entitlement to pleasure predicted verbal consent to oral sex as a function of self-efficacy in achieving sexual pleasure (Satinsky & Jozkowski, 2015).
Sleeping With Younger Men: Women’s Accounts of Sexual Interplay in Age-Hypogamous Intimate Relationships
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2020
The participants’ depiction of younger men as particularly generous lovers also merits discussion. This result is particularly intriguing considering that previous studies depicted a rather disappointing portrait of young adults’ ability to reach an egalitarian dynamic with regard to female/male sexual pleasure. Indeed, many studies show that while young women often perform fellatio on men, it is much less common for young men to perform cunnilingus on their female partners (Armstrong et al., 2015; Backstrom et al., 2012; Lewis & Marston, 2016). There is in fact a well-documented gap between young men’s and young women’s frequency of orgasm during heterosexual sex (Armstrong et al., 2015; Richters et al., 2006). Therefore, one cannot conclude that younger men are inherently attentive and generous lovers in every context. Instead, based on women’s discourses, I argue that women’s perceptions of younger men as fantasizing about older women combined with women’s perceptions of young women as passive sex partners contribute to shifting the gender power dynamics at play during sexual interactions, ultimately facilitating women’s ability to renegotiate interpersonal sexual scripts with younger men. Women’s perceptions of younger men as fantasizing about older women provided women with more confidence in themselves, which then facilitated their ability to assert and enjoy themselves sexually.
Consuming Ecstasy: Representations of Male and Female Orgasm in Mainstream Pornography
Published in The Journal of Sex Research, 2018
Léa J. Séguin, Carl Rodrigue, Julie Lavigne
Finally, one sexual script relative to orgasm was notably absent from the analyzed videos: the discourse of reciprocity (Braun et al., 2003). This discourse posits that “fair” sexual encounters involve orgasms for both partners and that a lack of reciprocity in these matters is problematic or “unfair” (Braun et al., 2003). However, some research suggests the ethics of reciprocity during sexual encounters tends to be present in sexual scripts for sex within committed relationships, as opposed to casual sex contexts with low levels of commitment (e.g., one-night stands) (Salisbury & Fisher, 2014). Indeed, some research suggests that as commitment increases in intimate relationships, concern for female partners’ sexual pleasure and orgasm also rises (Armstrong, England, & Fogarty, 2012). This trend is further illustrated by an increase in the incidence and frequency of cunnilingus (Backstrom, Armstrong, & Puentes, 2012) and reported levels of sexual enjoyment (Galinsky & Sonenstein, 2013) in committed romantic relationships, compared to casual sex scenarios. Thus, in light of the present study’s findings, mainstream pornography is more representative of casual sex scripts than of sex within committed relationships.