‘Oral’ means anything to do with your mouth, and so when we’re talking about sex, it basically means to pleasure another person’s genitals with your mouth or to have someone pleasure your genitals with their mouth. You may have heard this referred to as ‘giving head’.

Oral sex and consent – now, that’s sexy!

You should never feel under pressure to participate in a sex act that you don’t want to. Consent (saying ‘yes’ or saying ‘no’) is the key to all sexy situations. Anyone who makes you feel like you have to give oral sex or take part in any other kind of sex act is not treating you with respect. Read more about healthy and respectful relationships here. 

To make sure you and your partner are both enjoying the act, you can check in with them. You could say something like: “Can I kiss there?”, “Is this okay?”, or “Are you enjoying this?”

Contraception! Safe Sex! Protection!

Sorry about all the shouting but this stuff is reeeeeally important. Sexually transmitted infections can be spread through the act of oral sex, so we recommend that you arm yourself with knowledge and barrier contraception. If you are sexually active, make sure to get regular health check ups at your local sexual health clinic.

You can learn more about Oral sex from the Better Health and Department of Health fact page.