Kissing

Did you know that 9 out of 10 people in the world kiss? Kissing is the most common way to express affection. We may kiss our parents, our siblings, our friends, or other people in our lives. And then there are the kisses that happen between romantic or sexual partners.

Some of us look forward to our first romantic kiss and may remember it for the rest of our lives. But kissing isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay too.

How do I kiss someone on the mouth in a romantic way?

Everyone kisses a little bit differently and there are lots of good online articles and videos about how to kiss. Here are the basics:

• Lean towards the person, remembering to tilt your head to the side a bit until you make contact with your partner’s lips.
• Pucker your lips so they are soft and relaxed, but not too floppy. They can be fully formed and firm, but certainly not hard.
• Make contact with your partner’s lips. If this is your first kiss together, you may not want to stay too long, but don’t just peck them and retreat.
• Hold the kiss for a few seconds before relaxing the pucker in your lips and then start to pull your head back. You can hold the kiss like this for longer
• Remember to breathe normally through your nose as you kiss.
• To end the kiss, start by easing the pressure a bit and relax your puckered lips.
• As your lips relax they will separate and a small amount of air will be sucked into your mouth. This will create the kissing noise, or “smack” that is identified with a kiss.

What is a French kiss?

• French kissing is also known as kissing with tongue. It is when you kiss someone on the lips and you also use your tongue to touch their tongue or put your tongue into each other’s mouth.
• French kissing is may not be a good idea on the first kiss but it can be fun and healthy when things heat up.

Will kissing expose me to any STIs?

• Not really. You can’t get HIV, chlamydia or syphilis from kissing, but you can get cold sores from kissing which are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (also known as HSV-1)
• Use a dental dam when kissing someone’s body where they have or might have an STI.
• Dental dams are a great way to protect yourself when you have oral sex (go down on someone).

  Dental dams can be used for both cunnilingus (eating out a vulva or vagina*), or analingus (rimming). These squares of latex can be your best friend when it comes to preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like herpes and HPV.

  Dental dams are easy to use and can also be made from condoms and plastic wrap.

  What is a dental dam?

  • A dental dam is a thin, flexible square of material (usually latex) that forms a physical barrier between your lips/mouth/tongue and your partner’s vulva/vagina/anus.

  Why should I use a dental dam?

  • Dental dams can protect you from STIs because they minimize skin-to-skin contact and prevent the exchange of bodily fluids.

  How do I use a dental dam?

  • Use the square of latex to cover the body part that you are going to be performing oral sex on.
  • Before you lay down the dam, you may want to add some water-based lubricant to the other person’s skin. This will make the dam feel more natural.
  • It will feel better if you take some time to mold the dental dam to the shape of the body part it is covering before starting (for example, tuck it into the folds of the vulva).

  Where can I buy dental dams and how much do they cost?

  • In a Chemist Store. Ask for it.
  • Dental dams are available at some specialty condom stores and sex shops.

  How do I make my own dental dams?

  • Cut off the tip and elastic ring of an unused condom and then cut down along its length. This will produce a rectangle of latex/polyurethane that can be used just like a dental dam.
  • Non-microwaveable plastic wrap can also be cut into dental dams.
  • If you don’t like the taste of latex or plastic wrap consider using a flavoured condom or flavoured lube.

  Can pregnancy happen from kissing?

  • No, you cannot get pregnant from just kissing someone. Pregnancy can only occur if sperm is ejaculated in or near the vagina.