In recent times, ‘plate licking’ has become a common pick up line by men to lure women into their beds. Once the initial ice of toasting has been melted, the promise of good, pleasurable sex, targeted at throwing the woman into a haze of sexual fantasies and longing follows. He begins to bombard her with stories about his sexual prowess, the size of his instrument and the magic he can spin between the sheets.
With full hindsight of the challenges most women (research estimates about 85 percent) have with achieving orgasm during sex, the thirst for adventure as well as other stringent factors may eventually work in his favour. Indeed, many middle-aged to older partners have added plate licking as part of their play leading to sex, or a major part of oral sex. That is besides the teeming number of young people who engage in oral sex as a decoy to penetrative sex.
Olabisi, single and in her late 50s recently shared the fact that she is “done with indulging men and their shenanigans when it comes to sex. If you must get in there, you must be ready to lick my plate to my satisfaction first”, she revealed to us during a discussion. According to her, it’s about the only sexual act that gives her full pleasurable satisfaction now. Lizzy had a different opinion though, as she gave a vivid narration of how she finds it rather nauseous to have to kiss a mouth that had just gone to work ‘down below’.
Just in case you are lost, plate licking, also known as muff diving, head, cunnilingus, sucking or licking out, is a form of oral sex where the mouth is used to stimulate the sex organs, genital areas or anus of a partner. Many who engage in it often allude to the almost indescribable pleasures they derive from it. Many others, especially young people, think it is a safe way to achieve sexual satisfaction without the burden of conception, nor guilt of defiling their virginity.
Once you can get past the idea of having someone’s raw flesh in your mouth like a cannibal, then you are good to go. Besides the intense pleasure, many believe that the chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections are much lower with oral sex than when one engages in penetrative sex. Thus, you are most likely to see partners go down on each other without protection only to now struggle into one for intercourse.
The truth is that you might in fact lbe hastening your way to the grave faster by getting infected up and down, top to bottom, mouth and genital. If your partner has an STD such as Syphilis, Chlamydia, Ecoli, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and you rummage down there, you are very likely to come up with any of these infections. You also stand a chance of passing the same to your partner’s mouth through the kiss of death, literally, perchance they have a mouth or gum sore, or bleeding gum.
HPV, (a major cause of cervical cancer in women) often found in men can be transmitted to the mouth causing oral cancer. In a report published by The Guardian Newspaper in June 2013, American actor, Michael Douglas revealed his throat cancer diagnosis might have been caused by giving head. According to him, “without wanting to get specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), which actually comes from cunnilingus.” Tennis star Martina Navratilova was also diagnosed with two cancers, breast and throat, the latter caused by HPV.
Because many STIs are asymptomatic, an infected partner may not even know he/she is a carrier, thereby posing a danger for all sexual partners.
Before you start licking plates or giving heads, be sure to take your precautions. Use the condom or dental dams over the genitals. Where the dental dam is not readily available for the woman, you may cut open a condom and spread it over your genital for protection. While abstinence is the only guaranteed safety measure to prevent STIs, staying in a long term relationship devoid of infidelity with a negative partner is most important.
Finally, do you know that oral sex is almost as old as the history of mankind, and not the rave of our time as you might be tempted to think? While it was regarded as taboo in most societies, for some it was part of a dark entertainment performed by women to the delight of male onlookers, or a stamp of class discrimination or punishment. In old Roman societies, only the rich and powerful could have the lowly, bend over or get on their knees. Caution is the word!
Do have a wonderful weekend!
•By Yetunde Arebi
