Cunnilingus
[13] There are numerous slang terms for cunnilingus, including "drinking from the furry cup",[14] "carpet munching", and "muff-diving".
[18][19] Shere Hite's research on human female sexuality reports that, for most women, orgasm is easily achieved by cunnilingus because of the direct stimulation of the clitoral glans and shaft (including stimulation to other external parts of the vulva that are physically related to the clitoris) that may be involved during the act.
[20][21] The essential aspect of cunnilingus is oral stimulation of the vulva by licking with the tongue, use of the lips, or some combination.
Autocunnilingus, which is cunnilingus performed by a female on herself as masturbation, may be possible,[25][26] but an unusually high degree of flexibility is required, which may be possessed only by contortionists.
[31][32] The phrase is a reference to menstrual blood stains in the shape of a small bird's wings that are liable to form on the giving partner's cheeks during the act.
[32][33] The red wing patch was common among the Hells Angels by the mid-1960s,[34] and the slang term continued to be known among biker gangs in the 1980s.
[31] Gershon Legman saw the act/badge not only as functioning a homosocial tie, but also as reflecting a deep and primitive belief in the lifegiving powers of blood.
[35] The elder Mirabeau, in his Erotika Biblion of 1783,[36] saw cunnilingus during menstruation as an extreme act, linked with the submissive worship of the Mother goddess,[37] and by extension to the Black Mass.
[8][9] Brushing the teeth, flossing, or undergoing dental work soon before or after performing cunnilingus can also increase the risk of transmission, because all of these activities can cause small scratches in the lining of the mouth.
[8][9] Such contact can also lead to more mundane infections from common bacteria and viruses found in, around and secreted from the genital regions.
Because of the aforementioned factors, medical sources advise the use of effective barrier methods when performing or receiving cunnilingus with a partner whose STI status is unknown.
[54] Some cultures attach symbolism to different parts of the body, leading some people to believe that cunnilingus is ritually unclean or humiliating.
Conversely, by either semen retention or ingesting the secretions from the vagina, a person can conserve and increase their qi, or original vital breath.
[52] According to Philip Rawson, these half-poetic, half-medicinal metaphors explain the popularity of cunnilingus among people: "The practice was an excellent method of imbibing the precious feminine fluid".
[52] However, these notions entail a lack of actual interest in pleasing the female partner and an effort to benefit at her expense, which has led sinologist Kristofer Schipper to denounce the ancient handbooks on the "Art of the Bedroom" as embracing a "kind of glorified male vampirism" that is not truly Taoist at all.
