The English noun fellatio comes from the Latin fellātus, the past participle of the verb fellāre, meaning to suck. Commonly, people do not view oral sex as affecting the virginity of either partner, though opinions on the matter vary. People may also refrain from engaging in fellatio due to personal preference, negative feelings, or sexual inhibitions. Most countries do not have laws banning the practice of fellatio, though some cultures may consider it taboo. Fellatio creates a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but the risk is significantly lower than that of vaginal or anal sex, especially for HIV transmission.
It may be performed by a sexual partner as foreplay before other sexual activities, such as vaginal or anal intercourse, or as an erotic and physically intimate act of its own.
If fellatio is performed on oneself, the act is called autofellatio.įellatio can be sexually arousing for both participants, and may lead to orgasm for the partner being fellated. Oral stimulation of the scrotum may also be termed fellatio, or colloquially as teabagging. An illustration of a woman performing fellatio on a manįellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act involving a person stimulating the penis of another person by using the mouth, throat, or both.
