Social media has been abuzz, debating the trending sexual act called rimming. Some people were maybe in the loop about this but others were shocked to hear that there is such a thing as rimming. Simply put, rimming is oral sex. As taboo as the idea of licking someone’s anus for sexual pleasure may be, there are people who prefer it that way.
SEXUAL PREFERENCES DIFFER
Medical doctor and sexologist, Dr Jireh Serfontein says rimming has been around for ages and that it was first described as anilingus in the 1800s. Dr Jireh says, South Africans remain still a very conservative community. “We are a country with massive cultural diversity. But the majority of the cultures are very conservative,” she says this could be the reason why a sexual act such as rimming is trending. “What is considered normal for one couple might be taboo for the next. I think that people are just becoming comfortable with talking about their sexual preferences,” she adds.
SEXUAL PLEASURE
If you do love rimming, you might consider making sure that hygiene is a priority. “There is no scientific evidence proving that washing the area will decrease the risks of infection but there are other things that one can do to decrease the risk of infection such as using a dental damp, getting vaccinated against hepatitis B and hepatitis A, ensuring that your mouth is in good health,” Dr Jireh says. She says you must at all cost avoid oral sex of any kind if you have cuts, bleeding gums, or open sores in or around the mouth, which can greatly increase your risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease.
HEALTH RISKS
While this sexual act might promise pleasure it also has its health risks. “The main health risks come from oral contact with human feaces. Diseases which may be transmitted by contact with feaces include: bacterial diseases such as shigellosis (a severe gastroenteritis); viral diseases such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (the cause of genital warts) and herpes simplex virus; parasites including intestinal parasites such as giardiasis or even worms,” she says. She says other common STIs like syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea could be transmitted through rimming too.
