Fellatio is oral sex performed upon the male human penis. It may be performed to induce orgasm and ejaculation of semen or it can be used as foreplay prior to sexual intercourse. Although the technique usually involves sucking, rather than blowing, the act of giving fellatio is commonly referred to as giving a blowjob. Fellatio - as well as cunnilingus - can be referred to as 'giving head'. Image File history File links Fellatio. ... Image File history File links Fellatio. ... Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, which may include use of the tongue, teeth, and throat, to stimulate genitalia. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... An orgasm (sexual climax) is the conclusion of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, and is experienced by both males and females. ... Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... Watercolour painting depicting cunnilingus by Achille Devéria Cunnilingus is the act of performing oral sex, using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female genitals. ...

[edit] Cultural significance

Some receivers regard receiving oral sex as an ego boost, believing that such an act is a form of dominance over their sexual partner because of the overt submissive nature of the act; the giver must often be on their knees before the receiver to perform the act of pleasure.^[1] Conversely the receiver is willingly placing their genitals in an environment filled with teeth so the dominance could work both ways with a suitably aggressive giver - particularly if the receiver is restrained (eg in bondage). Much of the recent sociological debate on power revolves around the issue of the constraining and/or enabling nature of power. ... Look up bondage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

[edit] Spiritual significance

The practice of fellatio was said to have been introduced by the women of Lesbos, who were said to whiten their lips as though with semen.^[2] Lesbos (Greek: Lesvos (Λέσβος)), is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. ...

The Ancient Indian Kama Sutra, dating from the first centuries AD, describes oral sex,^[3] discussing fellatio in great detail and only briefly mentioning cunnilingus. However, according to the Kama Sutra, fellatio is above all a characteristic of eunuchs (or, according to other translations, of effeminate homosexuals or transwomen similar to the modern Hijra of India), who use their mouths as a substitute for female genitalia. The author states that it is also practiced by 'unchaste women' but mentions widespread traditional concerns about this being a degrading or unclean practice, with known practitioners being evaded as love partners in large parts of the country. He seems to agree with these attitudes to some extent, claiming 'a wise man' should not engage in that form of intercourse while acknowledging that it can be appropriate in some unspecified cases. Motto Satyameva Jayate (Sanskrit)  (Devanagari) Truth Alone Triumphs[1] Anthem Jana Gana Mana National Song[2] Vande Mataram Capital New Delhi Largest city Mumbai Official languages Union:3 Hindi and English States and others:4 Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya... Kamasutram, generally known to the Western world as Kama Sutra, is an ancient Indian text widely considered to be the standard work on love in Sanskrit literature. ... Watercolour painting depicting cunnilingus by Achille Devéria Cunnilingus is the act of performing oral sex, using the mouth, lips, and tongue to stimulate the female genitals. ... European illustration of a Eunuch (1749) A eunuch is a castrated man; the term usually refers to those castrated in order to perform a specific social function, as was common in many societies of the past. ... Effeminacy is character trait of a male showing femininity, unmanliness, womanliness, weakness, softness and/or a delicacy, which contradicts traditional masculine, male gender roles. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... Transwomen or trans women are transsexual or transgendered people who were assigned male sex at birth (or, in some cases of intersexuality, later) and feel that this is not an accurate or complete description of themselves. ... In the culture of the Indian subcontinent a hijra (also known by a number of different names and romanised spellings) is usually considered a member of the third sex — neither man nor woman. ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis...

The religious historian Mircea Eliade speaks of a desire to transcend old age and death and achieve a state of nirvana in the Hindu practice of Tantric yoga. In Tantric yoga the same emphasis is placed on the retention and absorption of vital liquids and Sanskrit texts describe how semen must not be emitted if the yogi is to avoid falling under law of time and death.^[4] This article is becoming very long. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... Tantric can refer to: Tantric yoga, also known as tantra The Louisville, KY hard rock band Tantric This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

In Islamic literature the only two forms of sex that are explicitly prohibited within marriage are anal sex and sex during menstrual cycles.^[5] But the exact attitude towards oral sex is a subject of disagreements between modern scholars of Islam. In Islamic terminology the practice hasn't been described as haram (forbidden) but some have claimed that it is makruh (undesirable).^{[citation needed]} Authorities considering it 'objectionable' do so because of the contact between the supposedly impure fluids emitted during intercourse and the mouth.^[6][7] Others emphasise there is no decisive evidence to forbid it.^[8] harām (Arabic: حرام Ḥarām, Turkish: Haram, Malay: Haram) is an Arabic word, used in Islam to refer to anything that is prohibited by the faith. ... Acts and substances which should be evaded by muslims. ...

[edit] Ingestion of semen

Ingesting semen ('swallowing') poses some risk of STD-transmission. Certain factors, particularly diet, may adversely affect the taste of semen; while other factors may improve its flavor. It is said that a man's semen will be sweet tasting if he is a vegetarian for at least one month, whereas if he eats a normal diet it will taste salty.^[9]

Urban legends sometimes describe semen as nutritious and a good source of protein. However semen contains only a small amount of protein and in any case is typically produced only in small quantities during sex. Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie. ... Horse semen being collected for breeding purposes. ... The updated USDA food pyramid, published in 2005, is a general nutrition guide for recommended food consumption. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...

[edit] Link to reducing pre-eclampsia

It has been suggested that fellatio may, through "immune modulation"^[10], have a beneficial role in preventing dangerous complications during pregnancy. Specifically, a research group^[11] reported that pre-eclampsia, a life threatening complication that sometimes arises in pregnancy, is much less frequent in couples who have practiced oral sex, and even more rare in couples where fellatio ended with the semen swallowed. Both results were statistically significant. This is consistent with other evidence that semen contains an agent that prevents preeclampsia, and with the theory that preeclampsia is an immunological condition.^[10][12] According to that view, preeclampsia is caused by a failure of the mother organism to accept the fetus and placenta, which both contain "foreign" proteins from the father's genes. Regular exposure to the father's semen might cause her immune system to gradually "grow accustomed" to their proteins. Other studies also found that, while any exposure to the partner's sperm during sex appears to decrease the chances of various disorders, women in couples who have practiced "other sex acts" than intercourse are half as likely to suffer pre-eclampsia. It is not known whether this represents a protective effect of "other sex acts" including oral sex, or a correlation between these sexual practices and some other protective factor: for example, greater overall frequency of sex.^[10] The standard way to resolve such questions (confounding) in medical science would be through a randomized trial, but there are unique challenges to research in sexual health.^[13] Pre-eclampsia (US: preeclampsia) is a medical condition where hypertension arises in pregnancy (pregnancy-induced hypertension) in association with significant protein in the urine. ... Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. ... “Unborn child” redirects here. ... The placenta is an ephemeral (temporary) organ present in female placental vertebrates during gestation (pregnancy), but a placenta has evolved independently also in other animals as well, for instance scorpions and velvet worms. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... For a non-technical introduction to the topic, see Introduction to Genetics. ... It has been suggested that Duration of sexual intercourse be merged into this article or section. ... A lurking variable (confounding factor or variable, or simply a confound or confounder) is a hidden variable in a statistical or research model that affects the variables in question but is not known or acknowledged, and thus (potentially) distorts the resulting data. ... In medicine, a clinical trial (synonyms: clinical studies, research protocols, medical research) is a research study. ...

When reporting the findings of the first research group mentioned above, New Scientist magazine thought it worth mentioning that some of the research team were women (including the lead author). Candidates for a protective agent in semen may include serum hormone leutinizing agent and transforming growth factor beta.^{[verification needed]} Transforming growth factor (TGF) is one of many characterized growth factors that exist in nature. ...

[edit] STD risk

Chlamydia, human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrhea, herpes, hepatitis (multiple strains), and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — including HIV — can be transmitted through oral sex.^[14] While the risk of transmitting HIV through fellatio is unknown, it is suspected to be fairly rare. Any kind of direct contact with body fluids of a person infected with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) poses a risk of infection. The risk from most of these types of infection, however, is generally considered far lower than that associated with vaginal or anal sex. Chlamydia is a common term for infection with any bacterium belonging to the phylum Chlamydiae. ... “HPV” redirects here. ... Gonorrhea (gonorrhoea in British English) is amongst the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and is caused by Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria gonorrheae. ... Species Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) This article is about the virus. ... Hepatitis (plural hepatitides) implies injury to liver characterised by presence of inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. ... A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an illness caused by an infectious pathogen that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ... Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Vaginal sex or vaginal intercourse is human sexual behavior involving the vagina, especially, but not limited to, the insertion of the erect penis into the vagina. ... Roman men having anal sex. ...

If the receiving partner has wounds on their genitals, or if the giving partner has wounds or open sores on or in their mouth, or bleeding gums, this poses an increased risk of STD transmission. Brushing the teeth, flossing, undergoing dental work, or eating crunchy foods such as potato crisps relatively soon before or after giving fellatio can also increase the risk of transmission, because all of these activities can cause small scratches in the lining of the mouth. These wounds, even when they are microscopic, increase the chances of contracting STDs that can be transmitted orally under these conditions. Such contact can also lead to more mundane infections from common bacteria and viruses found in, around and secreted from the genital regions. Because of this, some medical professionals advise the use of condoms when performing or receiving fellatio with a partner whose STD status is unknown. Flavoured condoms may be used for this purpose. A microscope (Greek: micron = small and scopos = aim) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. ... A sexually transmitted disease (STD) is an illness caused by an infectious pathogen that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Stop editing pages god ... A condom is a device, usually made of latex, or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse. ...

[edit] HPV and oral cancer link

In 2005, a research study at the College of Malmö in Sweden suggested that performing unprotected oral sex on a person infected with HPV might increase the risk of oral cancer . The study found that 36 percent of the cancer patients had HPV compared to only 1 percent of the healthy control group. ^[15] Motto: FrÃ¥n arbetarstad till kunskapsstad (eng: From industrial city to knowledge city) Location of Malmö in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country  Sweden Municipality Malmö Municipality County SkÃ¥ne County Province Scania (SkÃ¥ne) Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Illmar Reepalu Area  - City 335. ... Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, which may include use of the tongue, teeth, and throat, to stimulate genitalia. ... HPV is an initialism that can mean : Human Powered Vehicle Human papillomavirus a type of STD High Production Volume Chemicals Health Purchasing Victoria Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Oral cancer is any cancerous tissue growth located in the mouth. ... Although every disease has its patients, to be a cancer patient has a very specific meaning, both to the patients and their relatives and the general public. ...

Another recent study suggests a correlation between oral sex and throat cancer. It is believed that this is due to the transmission of human papillomavirus or (HPV) because this virus has been implicated in the majority of cervical cancers. The study concludes that people who had one to five oral sex partners in their lifetime had approximately a doubled risk of throat cancer compared with those who never engaged in this activity and those with more than five oral-sex partners had a 250% increased risk.^[16] Positive linear correlations between 1000 pairs of numbers. ... Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, which may include use of the tongue, teeth, and throat, to stimulate genitalia. ... Head and neck cancers are malignant growths originating in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, thyroid, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands and cervical lymph nodes of the neck. ... “HPV” redirects here. ...

[edit] See also

• Safe oral sex technique
• Autofellatio

Oral sex consists of all sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, which may include use of the tongue, teeth, and throat, to stimulate genitalia. ... Autofellatio Photograph of a man performing autofellatio Autofellatio is the act of oral stimulation of ones own penis as a form of masturbation. ...

[edit] References