This Kind of Sex Can Lead to Cancer

Oral sex became the "it" kind of sex briefly in the 1990s thanks, in large part, to Billy C's Oval Office indiscretion. Many people thought it was fine to have oral sex since it wasn't "sexual relations" according to our President's definition, so why not rack up the partners? Here's why: Oral cancer. Seriously.

It turns out that while the rate of many other cancers has gone down, oral cancer and other kinds of cancers of the throat are going up and doctors are theorizing that maybe the uptick in oral sex is to blame. Yes, you read that right, ladies. We can stop that horrible chore right now.

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In all seriousness, this doesn't let us married ladies in monogamous relationships off the hook (darn!), but it's a good lesson to those who are doing it with random men.

Oral sex IS sex, and if you are doing it, it requires a condom the same as intercourse. If you think otherwise, you are just fooling yourself. Maybe a little STD scare is exactly what we need to put things back in perspective.

Whether you like giving blow jobs or not, the fact is, it IS an intimate act. Even though you can't get pregnant, there are other concerns.

Oral sex isn't considered one of the "most detested sex acts" for no reason. It's a lot of work being down there, holding the mouth open, waiting, acting sexy, and then making the choice of how he is allowed to "finish." That said, like anything else, with the right partner, it's a lot of fun and intimate.

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But let's not pretend it's as simple as a handshake. It's not. And contrary to our former President's assertion, oral sex IS "sexual relations" no matter how much you want it not to be.

This is an important lesson for everyone to get from a young age. Sex is sex. If you're having it with random people, put a condom on it. No matter what kinds of "sexual relations" in which you are engaging.

Do you consider oral sex sex?

Image via Flóra/Flickr

Written by Sasha Brown-Worsham on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

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