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Using a vaginal
dam, also known as a denal dam will help protect you from several sexually transmitted diseases that you can get in your throat or via small cuts in your mouth, as with a blood-borne STD like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, or HIV.
A dental dam,
sometimes called an oral dam, is a six inch square piece of thin
latex, (sometimes flavored), that’s available at most pharmacy
chains and medical supply stores or via the internet at condom stores.
Below is a photo of the brand Glyde™ Sheer Dams.
The dam should
be placed over the entire vulva during oral sex to prevent the possible
transmission of the HIV virus from the vagina to the mouth or the
mouth to the vagina. (For more on HIV see that
page and the links there). It can also be used to prevent
the spread of genital
herpes and any of the Hepatitis viruses.
Always rinse
the dam first to remove the powdery talc which should never enter
the vagina or anus. Pat it dry with a towel, or let it air dry ahead
of time. If you use a substitute, remember that some plastic, like
that used for some garbage bags, can contain toxic chemicals. Please don't use these.
Spread the dam
over the entire vulva, covering both the vaginal opening and clitoris,
holding two edges of the dam with your hands. During oral-anal contact,
use the dam to cover your partner’s anus. Never share the same
dam. Never reuse one, and always use separate dams if you are practicing
both oral-vaginal and oral-anal sex, because anal organisms can
cause infection in the vagina.
Afraid the dam
will be to annoying to use? It is at first. However, there are some steps you can take to
free your hands during oral sex. One reader said she used scissors
to cut a dam to fit and then sewed it into a pair of panties to create a dental dam holder.
Any materials you use should be washable and have no sharp edges.
Remember to
use a new dam each time you have oral sex. I have seen vaginal dams
in chain drug stores. Those did seem a bit smaller in size, but
they do stretch when rinsed. Check out websites that sell condoms
for dams, most sell them. You can also use a condom if you have nothing else if the act we are talking about is fellatio only. Perhaps someone could use a condom on his tongue, but this is still not covering the entire genital area.
I know this sounds like it takes all of the fun out of sex, but an STD can take a lot of fun out of life.
Luckily, the most common STDs are treatable, but a virus is forever. A virus includes any of the many Human Papillomaviruses (genital warts), genital herpes, molluscum contagiosum, HIV, and any of the Hepatitis viruses.
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