These days we think of oral sex as a more or less contemporary phenomenon, popularized by our former president who had an affair with an intern and whose sexual exploits were published in a soft-porn document known as the Starr Report. But in truth people have been engaging in oral sex as long as they've been engaging in sex. We can really only speculate on the sexual behavior of prehistoric humans. But archealogical and literary records can help us to pinpoint times in our past when humans may have introduced certain practices into the sexual repertoire.

Prior to the Middle Ages, after which it became a taboo sexual activity, oral sex was a widely accepted activity, particularly since most cultures were very hygiene-conscious and engaged in frequent bathing. The ancient Egyptians, for example, were scrupulously clean and had advanced bathing rituals. There are Egyptian heiroglyphs and sculptures that suggest oral sexual activity.

In the Middle Ages, people began to believe that bathing was damaging to the health and it is likely this led, unintentionally perhaps, to a decline in oral sex practice. In ancient Rome prior to Christianity, oral sex was associated with social position and control. The two Latin words denoting oral sex were irrumare (to penetrate orally), and fellare (to be penetrated orally). We get the word fellatio from this second Latin root. It was considered unacceptable for any male to be penetrated (orally or otherwise) by anyone from a lower social standing. In other words, it was considered more desirable to have another man suck your penis, than for you to suck his, because this left you in control. For this reason a man of social standing would more likely allow a woman or slave to fellate him, than he would be willing to perform oral sex on them. The Romans found oral sex more distasteful and abhorrent than anal sex; they believed the former caused bad breath which was offensive at the dinner table (the Romans were known for frequent feasts and banquets). The Romans generally felt that performing oral sex was shameful for any man and that oral sex between people of lower classes was also taboo, and seen as unclean, because the genitals were perceived as unclean.

Not all of the Romans thought oral sex was evil, however. There are a number of Greek and Roman poems that sing the praises of oral sex, and the ancient Greeks even referred to fellatio as "playing the flute" which associated this act with the lusty forest god of the animals, Pan, who played upon his pipes while contemplating the beautiful nymphs. Priapus wrote: "Through the middle of boys and girls travels the member; when it meets bearded chins then it aspires to the heights." Priapus gave his name to priapism, a disorder characterized by a swollen penis that will not go away!

It is thought that oral sex first found favor among those humans who observed it in the animal kingdom: animals frequently lick their genitals thoroughly, most likely to clean them, but they do seem to go at it for a long time! And dogs often get visible erections when they lick their penises. In the Old Testament, the book Song of Solomon has many passages which seem to delight in the joys of oral sex. The Old Testament also comments that many peoples engaged in practices that were offensive to the Jews, and these people were referred to as "sodomites" named after the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sites of rioting and public lewdness. Today "sodomy" specifically refers to anal intercourse, usually of a forcible nature. The biblical groups thought to engage in taboo sexual practices included the Babylonians, the Philistines, the Egyptians, and the Chaldeans.

In the East, oral sex is seen differently. In India, for example, oral sex has always been viewed with favor since ancient times. One of the first love manuals, the Kama Sutra (ca. 100-300 A.D.) contains an entire chapter on Oparishtaka, "mouth congress" which states: "The male servants of some men carry on the mouth congress with their masters. It is also practiced by some citizens, who know each other well, among themselves." In India it is also known as mukhamethuna ("oral churning") and ambarchusi ("mango-fruit sucking").

In Turkey, oral sex is seen as more pleasureable than any other sexual activity. One common saying goes, "Penis sucking is better than fucking!" This is also true of the Arab world, which has many slang words devoted to describing it. In other parts of Europe, oral sex is simply seen as a normal part of the sexual repertoire, particularly in France, where an old joke says that Englishmen like to talk to their ladies after lovemaking because "An Englishman doesn't know what to do with a tongue." This despite the comic song by the English Monty Python troupe, "Sit on My Face (And Tell Me That You Love Me)".

It is said that today oral sex enjoys more popularity than ever, becoming very common among adolescents. I have heard it said that this is a very good thing and that if more kids were engaging in oral sex for pleasure there would be far fewer unwanted pregnancies among teenagers. This is not to say oral sex is without risks, and in the era of safe sex following the 1980s AIDS epidemic, methods for engaging in oral sex using condoms and dental dams to prevent sexually-transmitted infection became more familiar. Stores like Good Vibrations, Toys in Babeland and Grand Opening! all conduct workshops on how to perform oral sex better, and it is becoming a common topic in online discussion groups and articles. Salon.com even ran contrasting articles from male and female authors on the foods people can eat to have their secretions taste sweeter! This ancient form of lovemaking insures pleasure for all, without the risk of pregnancy; what's not to love?