Dental dams are thin sheets of rubber or plastic that were originally designed for use by dentists, but are useful to reduce the risk of transmitting STDs during oral genital contact, oral/vaginal contact (cunnilingus) and oral/anal contact (also called analingus or rimming). Dental dams were probably used for sex long ago, but it was in the late 1980s and early 1990s that sex educators began promoting the use of dental dams as a way to prevent transmission of HIV and other STDs.
Why Use Dental Dams?
There are actually two good reasons to use dental dams, one of which has nothing to do with safety.Dental dams create a barrier between you and your partner and, as such, reduce the risks of transmitting STDs including herpes, hepatitis A, genital warts and HIV. They also protect against bacterial or parasitic infections, particularly from analingus.
Beyond that, for many, they can open up sexual possibilities. For example, many people find oral/anal contact to be intensely pleasurable. Even so, many people aren’t comfortable performing analingus because of discomfort with that part of the body. Using dental dams can make the activity feel safer and cleaner, and when used properly it doesn’t actually impact how much pleasure the receiver gets.
