An expert in sexual health has revealed the one habit that millions of Americans practice in the bedroom – but shouldn’t.
According to studies, some 40 percent of people admit to using their own – or a partner’s – saliva as a lubricant during sex.
Some research suggests that for men who have sex with men, the figure is nearly 90 percent.
But Dr Danae Maragouthakis, a sexual health expert based at the University of Oxford in the UK, said in a TikTok video: ‘Though saliva may always be available to you, it should not be used in place of lube.’
But Dr Danae Maragouthakis, a sexual health expert based at the University of Oxford in the UK, explained why saliva should not be used in place of lubricant in a TikTok video
Dr Maragouthakis explained in the clip, which has garnered over 719,000 views, that saliva contains enzymes that break down food but which can also lead to skin irritation.
When the enzymes are introduced to the vagina, they can upset the vaginal microbiome – the healthy gut bugs inside the organ that help fight infection.
This leaves you at risk of developing a yeast infection, such as thrush, or bacterial vaginosis.
These occur when the balance of yeast and bacteria that naturally exist in the vagina is thrown off.
Sometimes, saliva can also trigger inflammation that leads to itching and burning.
It also does not make for an effective lubricant, as it evaporates and dries quickly, gynaecologist Dr Felice Gersh told Health.com.
Saliva can also transmit STIs, according to Dr Maragouthakis.
Saliva can carry infectious gonorrhea, but scientists are unclear as to how much saliva is needed for gonorrhea transmission.
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that is spread when semen, vaginal fluids or saliva get on or inside your genitals, anus, or mouth.
Less commonly, chlamydia is also present in saliva and can be spread via kissing, as well as oral-to-genital and genital-to-genital contact, Dr Sara Bares, an infectious diseases specialist, said.
Syphilis is less likely to spread via saliva, but the bacteria that causes syphilis can be present in oral sores and can thus be transmitted via kissing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have previously described America’s sexual health situation as an ‘STI epidemic’, with a record 2.53 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in 2021.
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