The Results Are In On Going Down!
Our customers love oral sex!
Whether it’s a workshop on oral techniques or a tell-all survey, lickable love is always a favorite way to go (down). As we wrapped up a year where probably the very best experience (for those lucky enough to indulge in it) was a nice blowjob or clitoral tongue bath (or whatever you most like lavishly laved), here are oral secrets from our winter Pleasure Poll.
We started by asking, “Have you engaged in oral sex before?” 639 people replied. Over 94% said yes, both giving and receiving; 1.41% had only received oral, while 2.19% had only given it. Almost 2% had done neither but would like to, while only one person (that’s 0.16%) said, “No, not for me.” See, we told you oral is a much-loved pastime! We asked if our respondents had a preference for giving or receiving; 590 answered. Over 13% prefer receiving, almost 17% would rather give, 53.39% like both equally, and 16.44% said “It depends.”
We broke it down further in our next question and asked people to rate fellatio, cunnilingus, and anilingus. Over 37% like giving blowjobs and over 38% like to receive them; almost 15% like both, and almost 10% said the question didn’t apply to them. When it comes to oral pussy play, 48.64% like to give, over 30% like to receive, and 17.63% said “both.” 3.39% said the question didn’t apply to them. And rimming, while not as popular as front-side oral sex, definitely had some fans! 13.39% said they enjoy giving; 11.69% like receiving; 28.64% enjoy both; and over 46% said “N/A.”
How about barriers when oral sex is on the menu? 17.63% have used condoms or dams; about 81.5% had not; and 0.85% weren’t sure. As we at Good Vibrations often note, a flavored lubricant can make barrier play more enjoyable, and some like to add some sweetness to oral play even when barriers are not involved. How many of our respondents have used it? 35.25% said they had; 1.19% weren’t sure; almost 59% had not, but 4.75% had added a non-flavored lube to oral play.
We asked, “When you have oral sex, how is it usually integrated into play?” 4.75% enjoy oral by itself, not as a step toward other sexual activities. 52.71% think of oral as foreplay, and follow it with other acts like intercourse. 3.56% turn to oral to finish, after they’ve enjoyed other sex acts. About 1.5% have included it as part of a kink scene. Almost 30% said, “It depends,” and about 8.5% said “Other”—when we asked for deets, many said “All of the above,” plus we got responses including: “It happens as we're moved to do it - any time during sex that it feels right. No ‘schedule’ or ‘agenda.’ It's a fluid and integral part of the entire experience.” Another respondent said, “We've been married 24 years, so sometimes it's just oral, other times it's part of foreplay, and still other times, if he finishes unexpectedly early, he'll go down on me afterward to get me there.“ “It can be both oral only or foreplay or even ‘okay, it's my turn,’” said another. And one toy-friendly oralist said, “In combo with a vibrator inside”—no surprises, we like the way you think!
We asked about orgasm from oral sex alone. 17.63% said they come that way “all the time” and 24.58% do so almost every time. 20.34% do so sometimes, a bit over 14% said “rarely,” and almost 10% do not because they need other stimulation to get them there. 2.03% don’t orgasm at all, and 8.14% said it depends on the type of act, or their partner. 3.39% wanted to add more information: “I can every time,” said one, “but I normally prefer my partner to be inside me when I come.” Another shared, “Oral and fingers--ooh la la!” One noted, “Less as I age,” while another said, “I've never had an orgasm through receiving oral sex, but I believe it's because the time and place haven't been right, and I hope to remedy that soon!” #lifegoals!
We asked whether people wanted to learn more about oral tips and tricks: 82% said “Yes please!” 18% said no.
Demographics time! We asked respondents their age; 7.45% said they’re between 18 and 24, while 21.27% are between 25 and 34. 22% are between 35 and 44, 24.36% are between 45 and 54, 15.27% are between 55 and 64, and 9.64% are 65 and above.
How about gender? 48% are cis female (assigned female at birth and still identifying as female), while 45.64% are cis male. 0.18% identify as trans women, 1.64% as trans men, and 3.09% as nonbinary. Close to 5% chose Gender Non-Conforming (1.09%), Genderqueer (2.18%), or Genderfluid (1.64%), while 0.55% identify as Agender. And 1.54% felt we had not listed a choice that reflected their gender. These additional identifications included demigirl and Two Spirit Cherokee.
Finally we asked about sexual orientation. 2% said they identify as gay; 71.64% as heterosexual; and 5.45% as Lesbian or dyke-identified. 23.27% answered “Bi, Pan, and/or Queer”; 1.27% chose “Ace/Asexual.” And 1.45% felt their orientation wasn’t adequately reflected by those choices; more than one identified as demisexual (“not physically/sexually attracted to anyone unless I'm emotionally attracted so not ace but hard to say otherwise”) and we had a few heteroflexible folks as well, plus one who said, “I have become bi-friendly and more than curious.”
That’s the beauty of oral sex! There’s plenty of pleasure to be had for people of all orientations (though some Ace folks may sit this one out). Whoever you are, whomever you love (or love to have sex with)—enjoy!
To learn more about Oral Sex, be sure to check out Good Vibrations’ free online class on Feb 3rd 6pm on “What That Mouth Do?!” with Oral Sex Specialist Linnea Marie.
