My boyfriend and I have recently started to have oral sex. We have not yet had vaginal sex. Is it possible for me to get pregnant?
- Anita*

No, it's not possible to get pregnant from oral sex alone. Sperm must get into the vagina — and eventually up through the cervix into the uterus. If a couple has vaginal sex while hooking up, the girl could get pregnant. And while getting pregnant isn't a possibility with oral sex, getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) — such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, warts, herpes, or HIV — is.

To avoid pregnancy and STDs, always remember to use a condom every time a sexual contact occurs, including oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Whenever oral sex is being performed on a girl, a dental dam should be used.

Latex condoms have been shown to be very effective in helping to prevent STDs — but they don't work 100% of the time. Only complete abstinence does. But if you are going to have oral sex, use a latex condom to help protect yourself— or, if you or your partner is allergic to latex, a polyurethane condom.

If the taste of latex isn't your thing, there are flavored condoms made specifically for oral sex.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: February 2011

*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.