Most Malaysians don’t talk about oral sex but assume everyone does it – or have tried to. Crime or no crime, many of us don’t think about what we put into our mouth in the heat of the moment. Never mind that we can get sexually transmitted diseases from it too, writes TAN CHOE CHOE
Of these, five are not married.
And surprisingly — or not — none of them use protection of any kind when they engage in the act.
These figures are in no way official statistics of any kind, but it gives a general idea of how Malaysians perceive oral sex.
“Malaysians are not as naïve as they’re made out to be — or some sectors of society think they are — especially the younger group.
“Many of them have liberal views on sex,” says Raymond Tai, PT Foundation acting executive director.
If the results of this writer’s informal survey are any indication, many Malaysians may be doing it without protection of any kind.
“Most people I’ve come across only think it’s necessary to use protection when it comes to vaginal or anal sexual intercourse,” s ay s Tai.
The fact that oral sex cannot cause pregnancy makes many couples feel they don’t need to wear contraceptives as they take “the fun out of oral”.
Tai says it’s not easy to target HIV/AIDS awareness messages to the public to practise safe oral sex in Malaysia .
"Because there is so much hang-ups in talking about sex, which is the main transmission mode for HIV." How do you go about advising people on how to protect themselves against STDs from oral sex, when the act itself is a crime? Under Section 377A of the Penal code, ‘any person who has sexual connection with another person by the introduction of the penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature’.
In layman speak, it means it’s a crime for any man to engage in anal sex or penile oral sex — fellatio.
The offence is punishable by a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, as stated under Section 377B.
“It doesn’t allow people to openly talk about oral sex. If you do, you’re incriminating yourself by the mere fact that yo u ’re talking about it,” says Tai.
Tai says if one were to look at the issue from the perspective of local media and the law, “it’s as though Malaysians don’t do oral sex — which is far from the tr uth!” And contrary to what some people may think, “oral sex is not safer sex, as STDs like gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes and HIV can still be transmitted,” says Dr Christopher Lee Kwok Choong, president of the Malaysian Society of HIV Medicine.
“The risks may be lower, but the potential of transmission is still present.
So if oral sex is practised, a condom should still be used,” says Dr Lee.
The same applies during cunnilingus, which strangely, the law doesn’t prohibit.
Some couples use dental dams over the vulva before proceeding with the oral stimulation .
These thin squares of latex rubber are also known as Kofferdam in Europe and they’re commonly used in dentistr y.
However, Tai says feedback from the public shows that many don’t use protection because “it isn't practical, is no fun and spoils the spontaneity”.
HIV transmission occur during fellatio when an infected man’s pre-ejaculation and seminal fluid gets into contact with any open sore or cut in his partner’s mouth.
“So take simple precautions – do not take oral if you have mouth sores. Tell your partner to refrain from ejaculating in the mouth,” says Tai There are smaller quantities of HIV in the pre-ejaculation fluid compared to semen.
“Couples will have to decide for themselves what levels of risk to take. Still, oral sex is by far safer than unprotected sexual or anal intercourse in getting HIV.” But the risk of getting other STDs is still there, especially if it is between casual partners, and you don’t know the history of their sexual practices.
IS ORAL DIRTY?
DEFINITELY not, says Professor Datin Rashidah Shuib of Universiti Sains Malaysia, “not if it’s between two consenting, married adults”.
Prof Dr Low Wah Yun from Universiti Malaya puts it like this: “Who are we to say whether a sexual act is dirty or not normal? “As long as the couple is agreeable and both are happy and consent to the act, then it shouldn’t be anybody’s business to say it’s dirty or not,” says Low, a psychologist from UM’s Health Research Development Unit.
Housewife Rosie (not her real name) has been married for 21 years and thinks of oral sex as “something very intimate that you would do with the one you really love and care about”.
Rosie, 49, says she does it with her husband because she wants to please him, and vice-versa.
“We started trying oral sex even before we got married and we learnt how to please each other by experimenting,” says Rosie, who has a 20-year-old daughter.
Rosie says she never thought she would do “such a thing” before she knew her husband, “but when I did it with him, it was a different thing altogether.
“It makes me feel happy that I’m able to please him.” Rosie admits she didn’t know oral sex was a criminal offence until two years ago when she went for an AIDS awareness programme under PT Foundation.
“It’s madness! All my friends do it, regardless of their creed or ethnicity. And everyone I asked didn’t know it’s illegal." Low says oral sex is part of the sexual activities that people generally engage in and there’s nothing wrong with it as long as it gives them pleasure.
“However, the concept of oral sex is very different among teenagers. They think ‘hey my teacher says I can get HIV through intercourse, let’s do oral sex instead’,” she says.
There’s no hard data to prove this, but Low is convinced that many teenagers are turning to oral sex now, which is the trend in some western countries like United States.
She says the US is also seeing about one out of every four teenage girl contracting sexually transmitted disease now.
“So it’s very important we have a more open discourse on this and educate our youngsters on the risks involved, whether it’s intercourse or oral sex.”
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