When a recent conversation with a group of my close female friends moved on to the subject of giving oral sex and it wasn't long before we all focussed on one particular aspect of this – taste. Let's face it, when women are putting something in their mouths, taste is going to be a deciding factor so, assuming he's washed and is nice and clean down there, the main source of taste is going to be semen.
Even I, with my limited knowledge of Sex and the City, have seen the episode Easy Come, Easy Go in season three where Samantha dates a man with "funky spunk". So, let's not be all Charlotte about this and sweep it under the carpet. The problem is a well known one and can clearly put even the most devoted woman off fellatio. However, there are things you can do to combat this.
As Miranda says in that episode, the taste of sexual fluid has a lot to do with nutrition and there is plenty that a man can eat to sweeten the taste if he really doesn't want to put you off. If directly mentioning the subject to your partner is not something you feel you can do, why not mention while eating certain foods that you've heard they, er, sweeten the taste down there and suggest an experiment to find out?
Fruit is generally a good thing, with special mentions going to pineapple, cranberries, citrus fruit, apple, melon, mango and grapes. Most vegetables are okay – celery is recommended – but apparently the likes of cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus should be avoided. Mind you, if you look at what should be avoided, that list contains a lot of good stuff! Alcohol, caffeine, red meat, dairy products, garlic and onions can all make semen taste bad. However, drinking lots of water can help flush the nasties from your body and so may counteract this.
Also, don't forget that swallowing actually minimise your chances of tasting the stuff. Well, when compared to spitting, anyway. When something enters your mouth right at the back, it avoids most of the taste buds and so the problem is mostly solved. However, remember that oral sex – particularly fellatio – does carry some risks if your partner has an STI. If you are at all unsure about this, get tested first or use flavoured condoms.
Spitting and swallowing are not the only options though, which is good for anyone wishing to avoid the taste altogether. The one girl in the discussion I mentioned at the start of this article who would not allow semen to enter her mouth said she simply aimed it at her breasts instead, adding a final comment, "and the best part is… I make them think it's their idea". What guy wouldn't be up for a porn-tastic money shot, eh?
In the Sexis guide to The Art of Fellatio, Sarah mentions that, "it can be deeply erotic to lean back as he comes, jacking him with your hand, and watch him explode. You can also have him come onto your face, chest or all over your body, if you’re into it". Just remember to avoid getting any in your eyes as that really does spoil the mood! And finally, a quote from the infamous Samantha on the subject of blow jobs:
"You men have no idea what we're dealing with down there. Teeth placement, and jaw stress, and suction, and gag reflex, and all the while bobbing up and down, moaning and trying to breathe through our noses. Easy? Honey, they don't call it a job for nothin'!"
Illustration of Swallow via Elisabeth Anderson