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Of course, oral sex has not always enjoyed such a good reputation. Even today, many religions have condemned it as unnatural and immoral practice. However, we can infer that people have never stopped doing it, despite the possibility of legal consequences. In fact, even now it is now illegal in some parts of the world, and in some U.S. states it was illegal until 2003.

There are several reasons why these taboos exist: in part because oral sex is not directly related to reproduction, conflicts with the heteronormative doctrine of the church, or because the sexual organs were seen as shameful and dirty. More than one scholar has argued that the rise of this activity may be related to our hygiene practices, which of course, have changed a bit since the 13th century. Taboos which condemned homosexuality have also helped turn this small way to make life sweeter for everyone, whether homosexual or heterosexual, into a highly controversial practice.

This taboo is still very much in force especially in parts of Africa and the Islamic world. Clean, legal, or convicted and dirty, historical records indicate that it’s been around for ages. Just think about it: if an activity is prohibited by law, it is likely many people do it, and of course, if you dig a little, you will find many cases of people who have faced prison terms or even death for performing oral sex.

In the 20th century, the sexual revolution began to change attitudes towards oral sex. Bathing everyday became common, and there were movies like “Deepthroat” and songs like “Flower” by Liz Phair and of course, the unforgettable Monica Lewinsky scandal that have made oral sex part of the common consciousness. The only step left? Well, there is a common yet unfortunate tendency to understand oral sex as a way to pay tribute to the male shaft, but of course, oral sex does not have to be so, giving is as pleasurable as receiving, whatever gender you might be. Rent apartments in Rome and enjoy a historic session of 69 with your lover.

Sometimes we believe that modern beings is that we have invented everything. Internet, twitter, filesharing, even oral sex or pornography. Of course, at least in the case of oral sex, um, we´re not responsible for it´s invention. Although human culture has passed through more or less permissive times, and it´s a bit creepy to think of our ancestors by doing such things, the history of oral sex is as old as sex. Even our fellow primates the bonobos do it!

We found one of the earliest references to this practice among the hidden treasures of the British Museum, in images of the myth of Osiris and Isis, Osiris was murdered by his brother, and cut up into little pieces like a chicken. His sister Isis gathered all the pieces, but of course, a key piece was missing: the phallus. So she made one out of clay again and to bring it back to life, “blew life into it.” Never underestimate the transformative power of oral sex.

If you travel to India, we can find an entire chapter of the Kama Sutra dedicated to art of the oral encounter, which in Sanskrit is called “auparishtaka.” That’s a mouthful! Don´t forget, the Kama Sutra dates back to the second century BC .

In ancient Rome, fellatio was an act which reflected rather complicated social mores, and was considered taboo depending in what context it was performed. Giving fellatio was considered a passive action so the obligation to perform it was used to control and punish subordinates, and infrequently as sexual practice between two equals. A man could require a woman or a man whose social class was lower to perform oral sex (in a sort of drop-and-give-me-20 sort of way) and it was not just a sexual act, but also a demonstration of his power.

Frowned upon or not, the practice was common enough to merit not one but two verbs in Latin, one describing the act of giving, and one for the act of receiving. Call it what you want to, oral sex can be a wonderful way to communicate with your partner without saying anything. Rent apartments in Rome to perfect your technique and look forward to the second half of this article!