In 2008, Stonewall published findings of a study into the health of 6,000 lesbian and bisexual women, which revealed half of those who had been screened had an STI.Īnd a quarter of those with STIs had only had sex with women in the last five years.ĭental dams should be used whenever you sleep with a woman you don’t know the STI status of, and until you know you are both in the clear.ĭams should also be used to prevent the spread of recurring STIs, such as herpes.Īlways use protection (Netflix/screen grab) How do you use dental dams?īefore you do anything, check that the dental dam hasn’t passed its expiry date as printed on the packaging. “But while you can’t get pregnant from oral sex, you can still catch STIs.” “There is a common misconception that oral sex is ‘safe’,” explains Simone Taylor, who is education and regional lead at Brook, a sexual health charity for young people. Going down on women or “rimming” without using protection can lead to a plethora of STIs including herpes, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HPV, and – in rare cases – even HIV.
No, not those dental dams… (Creative Commons) Why should you use dental dams?ĭespite what a lot of people say, oral sex without protection isn’t safe. Still, their purpose applies to anyone who likes to go down on women – or anybody into “rimming” (licking the anus). Thinner versions were later produced specifically for promoting safe oral sex.ĭams are often used in sexual health campaigns for women who have sex with women.
So, what are dental dams? How do they help stop STIs spreading? What STIs are you at risk of catching if you don’t use dental dams?Īnd where can you get your hands on these latex gems? Dental dams (Creative Commons) What are dental dams?Ī dental dam is a latex or polyurethane square, around 15cm by 15cm in size, which can be used to cover the anus or a woman’s genitals during oral sex.Īccording to the NHS, a dental dam “acts as a barrier to help prevent sexually transmitted infections passing from one person to another.”ĭental dams were originally made for dentistry, and are used to protect the mouth when work is being done on an isolated tooth.