Fellatio
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
A form of oral sex. The term “fellatio” is derived from the Latin verb fellare, meaning “to suck.” In the vernacular, the terms, “blow job” and “giving head” are synonyms. Fellatio has become much more acceptable today than it was in the nineteenth century, when it was considered a “perversion.” In 1983 one research team reported that 90 percent of the couples studied engaged in fellatio at some time during their relationship. The Janus Report (based on a national sample) found that 88 percent of men and 87 percent of women reported that oral sex was “very normal” or “all right.”
Fellatio involves the sexual stimulation of a penis by a partner’s mouth and/or tongue. It may be limited to licking or sucking the glans of the penis or the entire penis may be taken into the mouth. The stimulation is performed by the partner licking the penis or moving the mouth (closed tightly around the penis) up and down the shaft.
Depending on the partner’s willingness, the male may ejaculate into his partner’s mouth or may withdraw just before ejaculation. Fellatio appears not only to be highly stimulating for the male recipient but often to the person performing it as well. It may be part of the process of foreplay leading to sexual intercourse or it may be an end in itself, with ejaculation.
Since the ejaculation of semen into a partner’s mouth may pose a risk of AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases, it is important to use (nonlubricated) condoms during fellatio unless there is complete confidence in the other person because of a long-term monogamous relationship. Withdrawal of the penis prior to ejaculation is insufficient, since a few pre-ejaculatory drops of semen often appear during stimulation of the penis, and these may also be infected with HIV.
