**Rimming risks transmission of amoebas, Hepatitis A, genital warts, parasites like shigella and giardia, and herpes and syphilis if an open area or sore is present.
All of these nasty complications are not passed just from licking someone’s ass, either. Any behaviour that gets someone else’s fecal matter from their GI tract to your mouth—rimming, fingering, or even just sharing sex toys—can do it. You can even get infected from licking or sucking your lover’s balls or butt cheeks after anal sex.
If you’re thinking that a shower and a thorough anal douche will eliminate the risk, you’d be wrong. Remember that we are dealing with microscopic organisms. Remain conscious of where your hands, mouth and dick have been in relation to your partner’s ass. You want to keep ‘ass’ last in the sequence to minimize the chances of contamination with your mouth.
Of course I’m talking about thinking rationally about risk reduction at times when rationality and risk are at the bottom of things you are thinking about, after pleasure, excitement, maybe romance. If STIs were devious, plotting creatures, they’d be counting on this. We need to be considering our risk before we’re tipsy with pleasure. In other words, plan ahead.
Probably the best protection when rimming is to use ordinary household plastic wrap. It provides full visuals and heat transference and is easier to use than thicker, smaller and pricier dental dams. A generous dab of water-based lube on the butt-side will help it stay put, and you can also “pin” it in place with some deep tongue or finger penetration.
Keep in mind that you may not be aware of symptoms even if you are infected, although you can still infect your partners. Sometimes all you may notice is some diarrhea. If you are HIV+ and take meds that often cause diarrhea anyway, a bacterial or parasitic infection can go undetected and untreated. If you have AIDS, these infections can develop into more serious illnesses, and may recur even following treatment.
For all these reasons using a barrier for any sexual behaviours that involve a risk of possible fecal contamination with your mouth is just plain smart.
Many of us enter into new sexual relationships not looking forward to discussing how we’re going to manage safe sex decisions. We’d rather not have the discussions or have to use the protection. It’s more fun, more romantic and quicker to avoid the topic and the mechanics altogether, but the days of catching nothing more serious than crabs are long gone.**