Dental Dam Underwear Cleared by FDA for STI Protection
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Move over dental dam, there’s a sexier safe sex option for cunnilingus.
To mark its recently acquired clearance for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lorals, a brand that sells latex underwear for oral sex, launched its new “Lorals for Protection” product line last week.
Made of natural rubber latex, the underwear acts as a barrier between one partner’s mouth and nose and the other partner’s vulva and anus during sex acts like cunnilingus and rimming. When worn during oral sex, they help prevent the transmission of disease-causing pathogens via the exchange of body fluids.
According to the Lorals website, the hands-free dental dam panties undergo testing to make sure they meet the FDA’s requirements for STI protection during both oral-vaginal sex and oral-anal sex.
Why dental dam panties
In addition to the FDA’s decision being a win for Lorals, the company also hailed it as “a milestone for female equality in the sexual health space” in a press release.
There are thousands of condom varieties to suit various sizes and personal preferences. However, before Lorals gained FDA clearance to help prevent STIs, the dental dam was the only option, added the company.
This cumbersome dental dam had also not been “fundamentally updated” in more than 40 years.
Dental dams are normally thin, rectangular pieces of latex or polyurethane. Scientific research has shown that when placed over the genital area, anus, or rectum during oral sex, they create a physical barrier that can help prevent the exchange of bodily fluids They are considered less effective than other barrier methods such as condoms because they do not cover the full genital area.
Dental dams for oral sex
Dental dams for oral sex have a relatively short history.
Orginally, dental dams were developed in the 19th century to prevent contamination during dental surgeries. Since the 1980s, after the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, dental dams began to be used during oral-vaginal and oral-anal sex as a way to prevent the exchange of bodily fluids.
And unlike Lorals latex undies, the dental dam needs to be held in place during oral sex, which makes it harder to use and potentially risky if it slips.
But according to the CEO and founder Melanie Cristol, her line of dental dam underwear can provide more than just better protection from STIs.
Designed based on the advice of both fashion and medical device experts, they can also help make cunnilingus and rimming more accessible.
“There are so many people who love the idea of oral sex and rimming, but when it comes to the reality, the actual skin-to-skin contact is a turn-off, or it feels physically uncomfortable, or emotional barriers come up—and so they say no,” Cristol told Sex For Every Body.
The hands-free, wearable design of the dental dam panties make them easier to use, especially for someone with limited mobility or strength.
“If you’ve been interested in a barrier in the past, but the thought of holding one in place was either too taxing or simply not possible, Lorals keep the barrier in place, fitted snugly on your body,” she added.
Please note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using barrier methods like dental dams with other safe sex practices, such as condoms and regular STI testing, to reduce the risk of STI transmission.
Jenna Owsianik is a Canadian journalist and sex tech industry expert. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sex For Every Body®.
Her expertise covers state-of-the-art sex technologies and the major fields driving innovations in intimacy: robotics, virtual reality, remote sex (teledildonics), haptics, immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, and sexual health.
A trained journalist with a Masters of Journalism from The University of British Columbia, Jenna’s reporting has appeared on Futurism.com, Al Jazeera English, CTV British Columbia online, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS 60 Minutes, Global News, and CKNW Radio in Canada and the United States.
