Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T15:36:26.178Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

10 - Female Provision of Oral Sex

from Part II - Copulatory Adaptations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2022

By
James B. Moran ,
Catherine A. Salmon  and
Rebecca L. Burch
Edited by
Todd K. Shackelford
Todd K. Shackelford
Affiliation:
Oakland University, Michigan
Get access

Summary

Female engagement in oral sex, both receiving and performing, is a sexual behavior found throughout the animal kingdom, yet it remains an underdeveloped research area. Regardless, proximate and ultimate causes can explain engagement in oral sex. For instance, there have been various sociocultural impacts that have led to fluctuations in the performance frequency of oral sex over human history. In this chapter, we highlight the results of research on oral sex for women. First, cross-cultural and historical practices regarding oral sex are presented to explain various fluctuations in the behavior. We also examine cross-species examples of oral sex. Second, we present contemporary research on oral sex and aspects that impact its frequency, such as peer pressure, age, and myths regarding the behavior. Third, proximate mechanisms (sexual pleasure and partner satisfaction) for engagement in oral sex are discussed. Fourth, we describe six evolutionary perspectives on oral sex and introduce one additional theory—a sexual communal perspective that integrates other models. Lastly, we note limitations and future directions for studying women's engagement in oral sex.

Keywords

oral sexcunnilingusfellatiosexual intercoursepleasuremate retentionsexual communal perspective
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Sexual Psychology , pp. 267 - 289
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ågmo, A., & Ellingsen, E. (2003). Relevance of non-human animal studies to the understanding of human sexuality. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 44(3), 293–301. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9450.00348Google Scholar
Altgelt, E. E., & Meltzer, A. L. (2019). Associations between premarital factors and first- married, heterosexual newlywed couples’ frequency of sex and sexual satisfaction trajectories. Journal of Sex Research, 58(2), 146–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Apt, C., Hurlbert, D. F., Sarmiento, G. R., & Hurlbert, M. K. (1996). The role of fellatio in marital sexuality: An examination of sexual compatibility and sexual desire. Sexual and Marital Therapy, 11(4), 383–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/02674659608404452Google Scholar
Arafat, S. Y. (2017). Dhat syndrome: Culture bound, separate entity, or removed. Journal of Behavioral Health, 6(3), 147–150. https://dx.doi.org/10.5455/jbh.20170123102726Google Scholar
Backstrom, L., Armstrong, E. A., & Puentes, J. (2012). Women’s negotiation of cunnilingus in college hookups and relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 49(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2011.585523Google Scholar
Ballini, A., Cantore, S., Fatone, L., Montenegro, V., De Vito, D., Pettini, F., … & Miniello, G. (2012). Transmission of nonviral sexually transmitted infections and oral sex. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9(2), 372–384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02515.xGoogle Scholar
Bay-Cheng, L. Y., & Fava, N. M. (2011). Young women’s experiences and perceptions of cunnilingus during adolescence. Journal of Sex Research, 48(6), 531–542. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2010.535221Google Scholar
Bersamin, M. M., Fisher, D. A., Walker, S., Hill, D. L., & Grube, J. W. (2007). Defining virginity and abstinence: Adolescents’ interpretations of sexual behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 41(2), 182–188. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jadohealth.2007.03.011Google Scholar
Bloch, I. (2001). Anthropological studies on the strange sexual practices of all races and all ages. London: The Minerva Group.Google Scholar
Boekeloo, B. O., & Howard, D. E. (2002). Oral sexual experience among young adolescents receiving general health examinations. American Journal of Health Behavior, 26(4), 306–314. https://doi.org/10.5993/ajhb.26.4.7Google Scholar
Brewster, K. L., & Tillman, K. H. (2008). Who’s doing it? Patterns and predictors of youths’ oral sexual experiences. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(1), 73–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.010Google Scholar
Bui, T. C., Tran, L. T. H., Markham, C. M., Huynh, T. T. T., Tran, L. T., Pham, V. T. T., … & Sturgis, E. M. (2015). Self-reported oral health, oral hygiene, and oral HPV infection in at-risk women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology, 120(1), 34–42. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.oooo.2015.04.004Google Scholar
Burch, R. L. (2020). More than just a pretty face: The overlooked contributions of women in evolutionary psychology textbooks. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, 14(1), 100–114. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000166Google Scholar
Burke, T. J., & Young, V. J. (2012). Sexual transformations and intimate behaviors in romantic relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 49(5), 454–463. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2011.569977Google Scholar
Buss, D. M. (1988). From vigilance to violence: Tactics of mate retention in American undergraduates. Ethology and Sociobiology, 9(5), 291–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/0162-3095(88)90010-6Google Scholar
Byers, E. S. (2005). Relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction: A longitudinal study of individuals in long-term relationships. Journal of sex research, 42(2), 113–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490509552264Google Scholar
Carroll, J. L. (2016). Sexuality now: Embracing diversity. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.Google Scholar
Cerda-Molina, A. L., Hernández-López, L., Claudio, E., Chavira-Ramírez, R., & Mondragón-Ceballos, R. (2013). Changes in men’s salivary testosterone and cortisol levels, and in sexual desire after smelling female axillary and vulvar scents. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 4, 1–9. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389%2Ffendo.2013.00159Google Scholar
Chambers, W. C. (2007). Oral sex: Varied behaviors and perceptions in a college population. Journal of Sex Research, 44(1), 28–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490709336790CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chapman, T., Liddle, L. F., Kalb, J. M., Wolfner, M. F., & Partridge, L. (1995). Cost of mating in Drosophila melanogaster females is mediated by male accessory gland products. Nature, 373(6511), 241–244. https://doi.org/10.1038/373241a0Google Scholar
Cherie, A., & Berhane, Y. (2012). Oral and anal sex practices among high school youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 1–9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2F1471-2458-12-5Google Scholar
Chrystal, P. (2016). In bed with the Ancient Greeks. Stroud, Gloucesteshire: Amberley Publishing.Google Scholar
Daniélou, A. (2001). The Hindu temple: Deification of eroticism. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions/Bear & Co.Google Scholar
Das, J., & Dutt, S. (2020). Dhat syndrome and its perceived impact on psychological well-being. Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry, 36(2), 136–140. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_22_19Google Scholar
de Waal, F. B. (1995a). Bonobo sex and society. Scientific American, 272(3), 82–88. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0395–82Google Scholar
de Waal, F.B. (1995b). Sex as an alternative to aggression in the Bonobo. In Abramson, P. R. & Pinkerton, S.D. (Eds), Sexual nature/sexual culture (pp. 37–56). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Delamater, J., & Maccorquodale, P. (1979). Premarital sexuality: Attitudes, relationships, behavior. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/59.2.584Google Scholar
Demartino, M. F. (1974). Sex and the intelligent woman. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
DePierre, D. (2017). A brief history of oral sex. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.Google Scholar
Duncan, D. F., & Nicholson, T. (1991). Pornography as a source of sex information for students at a southeastern state university. Psychological Reports, 68, 802. https://doi.org/10.2466%2Fpr0.1991.68.3.802Google Scholar
Edwards, S., & Carne, C. (1998). Oral sex and the transmission of viral STIs. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 74(1), 6–10. https://dx.doi.org/10.1136%2Fsti.74.1.6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edwards, W. (1989). Modern Japan through its weddings: Gender, person, and society in ritual portrayal. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Fava, N. M., & Bay-Cheng, L. Y. (2012). Young women’s adolescent experiences of oral sex: Relation of age of initiation to sexual motivation, sexual coercion, and psychological functioning. Journal of Adolescence, 35(5), 1191–1201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2012.03.010Google Scholar
Fisher, W. A., & Byrne, D. (1978). Sex differences in response to erotica? Love versus lust. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.36.2.117Google Scholar
Frederick, D. A., John, H. K. S., Garcia, J. R., & Lloyd, E. A. (2018). Differences in orgasm frequency among gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual men and women in a US national sample. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(1), 273–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-0939-zGoogle Scholar
Frederick, D. A., Lever, J., Gillespie, B. J., & Garcia, J. R. (2017). What keeps passion alive? Sexual satisfaction is associated with sexual communication, mood setting, sexual variety, oral sex, orgasm, and sex frequency in a national US study. Journal of Sex Research, 54(2), 186–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1137854Google Scholar
French, J. E., Altgelt, E. E., & Meltzer, A. L. (2019). The implications of sociosexuality for marital satisfaction and dissolution. Psychological Science, 30(10), 1460–1472. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0956797619868997Google Scholar
Gillespie, B. J. (2017). Correlates of sex frequency and sexual satisfaction among partnered older adults. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 43(5), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623x.2016.1176608Google Scholar
Grebe, N. M., Sarafin, R. E., Strenth, C. R., & Zilioli, S. (2019). Pair-bonding, fatherhood, and the role of testosterone: A meta-analytic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 98, 221–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.010Google Scholar
Gregorič, M., Šuen, K., Cheng, R. C., Kralj-Fišer, S., & Kuntner, M. (2016). Spider behaviors include oral sexual encounters. Scientific Reports, 6, 25128. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep25128Google Scholar
Grover, S., Avasthi, A., Gupta, S., Dan, A., Neogi, R., Behere, P. B., … & Bhatia, M. S. (2016). Phenomenology and beliefs of patients with Dhat syndrome: A nationwide multicentric study. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 62(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764015591857Google Scholar
Guzzo, K. B., Lang, V. W., & Hayford, S. R. (2019). Teen girls’ reproductive attitudes and the timing and sequencing of sexual behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(4), 507–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.05.018Google Scholar
Hald, G. M., & Malamuth, N. M. (2008). Self-perceived effects of pornography consumption. Archives of sexual behavior, 37(4), 614–625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9212-1Google Scholar
Halpern-Felsher, B. L., Cornell, J. L., Kropp, R. Y., & Tschann, J. M. (2005). Oral versus vaginal sex among adolescents: Perceptions, attitudes, and behavior. Pediatrics, 115(4), 845–851. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2004-2108Google Scholar
Hammond, L., Estoesta, J., Passmore, E., & Ruddock, J. (2011). “It feels good”: Australian young women’s attitudes to oral sex. Youth Studies Australia, 30(2), 15.Google Scholar
Herbenick, D., Reece, M., Schnick, V., Sanders, S. A., Dodge, B., & Fortenberry, J. D. (2010). Sexual behavior in the United States: Results from a national probability sample of men and women ages 14–94. Sexual Medicine, 7, 255–265. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02012.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herdt, G. (1999). Sambia sexual culture: Essays from the field. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Herdt, G. (2019). Intimate consumption and new sexual subjects among the Sambia of Papua New Guinea. Oceania, 89(1), 36–67. https://doi.org/10.1002/ocea.5213Google Scholar
Hesse, C., & Pedersen, C. L. (2017). Porn sex versus real sex: How sexually explicit material shapes our understanding of sexual anatomy, physiology, and behaviour. Sexuality & Culture, 21(3), 754–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-017-9413-2Google Scholar
Hipp, L. E., Low, L. K., & van Anders, S. M. (2012). Exploring women’s postpartum sexuality: Social, psychological, relational, and birth-related contextual factors. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9(9), 2330–2341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02804.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hollander, D. (2005). Many young teenagers consider oral sex more acceptable and less risky than vaginal intercourse. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3), 155. https://doi.org/10.1363/3715505Google Scholar
Hunt, A., & Curtis, B. (2006). A genealogy of the genital kiss: Oral sex in the twentieth century. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 15(2), 69–85.Google Scholar
Hunt, M. (1974). Sexual behavior in the 1970s. Chicago, IL: Playboy Press.Google Scholar
Impett, E. A., & Muise, A. (2019). Relationships and sexuality. New directions in the psychology of close relationships, 136.Google Scholar
Impett, E. A., Muise, A., & Harasymchuk, C. (2019). Giving in the bedroom: The costs and benefits of responding to a partner’s sexual needs in daily life. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(8), 2455–2473. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0265407518787349CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kilmer, M. F., & Kilmer, M. (1993). Greek erotica. Bristol Classical Press.Google Scholar
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. A. (1953). Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.Google Scholar
Knoflach, B., & van Harten, A. (2000). Palpal loss, single palp copulation and obligatory mate consumption in Tidarren cuneolatum (Tullgren, 1910) (Araneae, Theridiidae). Journal of Natural History, 34(8), 1639–1659. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930050117530Google Scholar
Kreager, D. A., & Staff, J. (2009). The sexual double standard and adolescent peer acceptance. Social Psychology Quarterly, 72(2), 143–164. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F019027250907200205Google Scholar
Kumar, R., Prasad, D. N., & Elangovan, V. (2017). Diurnal reproductive behaviour of Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus. The Asian Journal of Animal Science, 12(2), 134–137. https://doi.org/10.15740/HAS/TAJAS/12.2/134-137Google Scholar
Lai, H. (2002). The sexual teachings of the jade dragon: Ttaoist methods for male sexual revitalization. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Le, B. M., Impett, E. A., Lemay, E. P., Muise, A., & Tskhay, K. O. (2018). Communal motivation and well-being in interpersonal relationships: An integrative review and meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 144(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000133Google Scholar
Leichliter, J., Chandra, A., Liddon, N., Fenton, K., & Aral, S. (2007). Prevalence and correlates of heterosexual anal and oral sex in adolescents and adults in the United States. The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 196(12), 1852–1859. https://doi.org/10.1086/522867Google Scholar
Manopaiboon, C., Kilmarx, P. H., Limpakarnjanarat, K., Jenkins, R. A., Chaikummao, S., Supawitkul, S., & van Griensven, F. (2003). Sexual coercion among adolescents in northern Thailand: Prevalence and associated factors. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, 34(2), 447–457.Google Scholar
Maruthupandian, J., & Marimuthu, G. (2013). Cunnilingus apparently increases duration of copulation in the Indian flying fox, Pteropus giganteus. PLoS One, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059743Google Scholar
Mason, H. (2003). Gilgamesh: A verse narrative. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Mcglone, S., & Shrier, I. (2000). Does sex the night before competition decrease performance? Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 10(4), 233–234. https://doi.org/10.1097/00042752-200010000-00001Google Scholar
Meston, C. M., & Buss, D. M. (2007). Why humans have sex. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36(4), 477–507. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9175-2Google Scholar
Miller, S. A. (2017). Monstrous sexuality: Variations on the vagina dentata. In Mittman, A. S. & Dendle, P. J. (Eds.), The Ashgate research companion to monsters and the monstrous (pp. 351–368). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Miner, E. J., Starratt, V. G., & Shackelford, T. K. (2009). It’s not all about her: Men’s mate value and mate retention. Personality and Individual Differences, 47(3), 214–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.03.002Google Scholar
Moran, J. B., Airington, Z., & Salmon, C. (2019). Cunnilingus. In Shackelford, T. K. & Weekes-Shackelford, V. A. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of evolutionary psychological science. New York, NY: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-9Google Scholar
Moran, J. B., Kerry, N., Goh, J. X., & Murray, D. R. (2021). Parasites and promiscuity: Disease salience leads to more restricted sociosexuality. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 38(11), 3333–3349.Google Scholar
Moran, J. B., Wade, T. J., & Murray, D. R. (2020). The psychology of breakup sex: Exploring the motivational factors and affective consequences of post-breakup sexual activity. Evolutionary Psychology, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704920936916Google Scholar
Morton, R. S. (1995). Sexual attitudes, preferences and infections in Ancient Egypt. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 71(3), 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1136/sti.71.3.180Google Scholar
Muise, A., & Impett, E. A. (2014). Good, giving, and game. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6(2), 164–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550614553641Google Scholar
Muise, A., & Impett, E. A. (2015). Good, giving, and game: The relationship benefits of communal sexual motivation. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6(2), 164–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muise, A., & Impett, E. A. (2016). Applying theories of communal motivation to sexuality. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 10(8), 455–467. https://doi:10.1111/spc3.12261Google Scholar
Muise, A., Impett, E. A., Kogan, A., & Desmarais, S. (2012). Keeping the spark alive. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 4(3), 267–273. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550612457185Google Scholar
Murray, D. R., Jones, D. N., & Schaller, M. (2013). Perceived threat of infectious disease and its implications for sexual attitudes. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.021CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogawa, H. (2007). Wily monkeys: Social intelligence of Tibetan macaques (translated by Akie Yanagi). Integrative and Comparative Biology, 48(1), 152–152. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icm100Google Scholar
Ornstein, P. (2016, March 19). When did porn become sex ed? New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/opinion/sunday/when-did-porn-become-sex-ed.htmlGoogle Scholar
Oswalt, S. B., & Wyatt, T. J. (2013). Sexual health behaviors and sexual orientation in a U.S. national sample of college students. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(8), 1561–1572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-0066-9Google Scholar
Paglia, C. (2001). Sexual personae: Art and decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Palagi, E., Paoli, T., & Tarli, S. B. (2004). Reconciliation and consolation in captive bonobos (Pan paniscus). American Journal of Primatology, 62(1), 15–30. https://doi:10.1002/ajp.20000Google Scholar
Perper, T., & Cornog, M. (2015). Anime and manga. In The International encyclopedia of human sexuality (pp. 1–111). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118896877.wbiehs031Google Scholar
Pham, M. N., Jeffery, A. J., Sela, Y., Lynn, J. T., Trevino, S., Willockx, Z., … & Mcdonald, M. M. (2016). Duration of cunnilingus predicts estimated ejaculate volume in humans: A content analysis of pornography. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 2(3), 220–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40806-016-0057-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pham, M. N., & Shackelford, T. K. (2013a). Oral sex as infidelity-detection. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(6), 792–795. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.11.034CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pham, M. N., & Shackelford, T. K. (2013b). Oral sex as mate retention behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(2), 185–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.02.012Google Scholar
Pham, M. N., Shackelford, T. K., Holden, C. J., Zeigler-Hill, V., Sela, Y., & Jeffery, A. J. (2014). Men’s benefit-provisioning mate retention behavior mediates the relationship between their agreeableness and their oral sex behaviors. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(6), 1723–1728.Google Scholar
Pham, M. N., Shackelford, T. K., Sela, Y., & Welling, L. L. (2013a). Is cunnilingus-assisted orgasm a male sperm-retention strategy? Evolutionary Psychology, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491301100210Google Scholar
Pham, M. N., Shackelford, T. K., & Sela, Y. (2013b). Women’s oral sex behaviors and risk of partner infidelity. Personality and Individual Differences, 55(4), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.04.008Google Scholar
Prinstein, M. J. (2003). Adolescent oral sex, peer popularity, and perceptions of best friends’ sexual behavior. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28(4), 243–249. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsg012Google Scholar
Prokosch, M. L., Airington, Z., & Murray, D. R. (2020). Investigating the relationship between olfactory acuity, disgust, and mating strategies. Evolution and Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.08.002Google Scholar
Rabe, M. D. (2000). Secret yantras and erotic display for Hindu temples. In White, D.G. (Ed.), Tantra in practice (pp. 434–436). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Remez, L. (2000). Oral sex among adolescents: Is it sex or is it abstinence? Family Planning Perspectives, 32(6), 298. https://doi.org/10.2307/2648199Google Scholar
Richters, J., Visser, R. D., Rissel, C., & Smith, A. (2006). Sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter and occurrence of orgasm in a national survey. Journal of Sex Research, 43(3), 217–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224490609552320Google Scholar
Rivieccio, G. (2014, November 20). Corrado “head giver” Soprano & the comment on oral sex in the modern age. Culled Culture blog. Retrieved from www.culledculture.com/corrado-head-giver-soprano-the-comment-on-oral-sex-in-the-modern-age/Google Scholar
Sanders, S. A., & Reinisch, J. M. (1999). Would you say you “had sex” if …? JAMA, 281(3), 275–277. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.281.3.275Google Scholar
Santtila, P., Wager, I., Witting, K., Harlaar, N., Jern, P., Johansson, A., … & Sandnabba, N. K. (2007). Discrepancies between sexual desire and sexual activity: Gender differences and associations with relationship satisfaction. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 34(1), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/00926230701620548Google Scholar
Scott, S. B., Ritchie, L., Knopp, K., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2017). Sexuality within female same-gender couples: Definitions of sex, sexual frequency norms, and factors associated with sexual satisfaction. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(3), 681–692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-1077-3Google Scholar
Sela, Y., Pham, M. N., & Shackelford, T. K. (2014). Do men and women perform oral sex as mate retention behavior? The Evolution of Sexuality Evolutionary Psychology, 69–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09384-0_4Google Scholar
Sela, Y., Shackelford, T. K., Pham, M. N., & Euler, H. A. (2015a). Do women perform fellatio as a mate retention behavior? Personality and Individual Differences, 73, 61–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.09.020Google Scholar
Sela, Y., Shackelford, T. K., Pham, M. N., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2015b). Women’s mate retention behaviors, personality traits, and fellatio. Personality and Individual Differences, 85, 187–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.05.002Google Scholar
Sewell, K. K., Mcgarrity, L. A., & Strassberg, D. S. (2016). Sexual behavior, definitions of sex, and the role of self-partner context among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Journal of Sex Research, 54(7), 825–831. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1249331Google Scholar
Shackelford, T. K., & Goetz, A. T. (2007). Adaptation to sperm competition in humans. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(1), 47–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00473.xGoogle Scholar
Shackelford, T. K., Goetz, A. T., Mckibbin, W. F., & Starratt, V. G. (2007). Absence makes the adaptations grow fonder: Proportion of time apart from partner, male sexual psychology, and sperm competition in humans (Homo sapiens). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 121(2), 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.121.2.214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soori, M., Mohaghegh, S., Hajian, M., & Yekta, A. A. (2017). Sexual activity before competition and athletic performance: A systematic review. Annals of Applied Sport Science, 5(3), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.29252/acadpub.aassjournal.5.3.5Google Scholar
Stone, N., Hatherall, B., Ingham, R., & Mceachran, J. (2006). Oral sex and condom use among young people in the United Kingdom. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 38(1), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.1363/3800606Google Scholar
Sugita, N. (2016). Homosexual fellatio: Erect penis licking between male Bonin flying foxes Pteropus pselaphon. PLoS One, 11(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166024Google Scholar
Sugita, N., & Ueda, K. (2013). The role of temperature on clustering behavior and mating opportunity in Bonin flying foxes. Mammalian Biology, 78(6), 455–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2013.07.078Google Scholar
Sumathipala, A., Siribaddana, S. H., & Bhugra, D. (2004). Culture-bound syndromes: The story of dhat syndrome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 184(3), 200–209. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.184.3.200Google Scholar
Swann, B. (Ed.). (1983). Smoothing the ground: Essays on native American oral literature. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Takaoka, K., & McCreery, R. S. (2014). Shunga: Aesthetics of Japanese erotic art by Ukiyo-e masters. Tokyo: Pai International.Google Scholar
Tan, M., Jones, G., Zhu, G., Ye, J., Hong, T., Zhou, S., … & Zhang, L. (2009). Fellatio by fruit bats prolongs copulation time. PLoS One, 4(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0007595Google Scholar
Thorogood, N. (2000). Mouthrules and the construction of sexual identities. Sexualities, 3(2), 165–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/136346000003002004Google Scholar
Uhlenbeck, C., Winkel, M., & Newland, A. R. (2005). Japanese erotic fantasies: Sexual imagery of the Edo period. Amsterdam: Hotei.Google Scholar
Vannier, S. A., & Byers, E. S. (2013). A qualitative study of university students’ perceptions of oral sex, intercourse, and intimacy. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42(8), 1573–1581. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0130-0Google Scholar
Vasey, P.L. & Sommer, V. (2006). Homosexual behavior in animals: Topics, hypotheses, and research trajectories. In Sommer, V. & Vasey, P. L. (Eds.), Homosexual behaviour in animals: An evolutionary perspective (pp. 3–44). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Vogels, E. A., & O’Sullivan, L. F. (2018). Porn, peers, and performing oral sex: The mediating role of peer norms on pornography’s influence regarding oral sex. Media Psychology, 21(4), 669–699. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2018.1483249Google Scholar
Wingfield, J. C., Hegner, R. E., Dufty, A. M., & Ball, G. F. (1990). The “challenge hypothesis”: theoretical implications for patterns of testosterone secretion, mating systems, and breeding strategies. The American Naturalist, 136(6), 829–846. https://doi.org/10.1086/285134Google Scholar
Wood, J. R., McKay, A., Komarnicky, T., & Milhausen, R. R. (2016). Was it good for you too?: An analysis of gender differences in oral sex practices and pleasure ratings among heterosexual Canadian university students. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 25(1), 21–29.Google Scholar
Wynn, L. L., Foster, A. M., & Trussell, J. (2009). Can I get pregnant from oral sex? Sexual health misconceptions in e-mails to a reproductive health website. Contraception, 79(2), 91–97.Google Scholar
Zhou, X., Ma, Q., Pan, X., Chen, L., Wang, H., & Jiang, T. (2020). The prevalence and correlates of oral sex among low-tier female sex workers in Zhejiang province, China. PLoS One, 15(9), e0238822.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×