Can I still receive pleasureable oral sex as a female if Ive?
The basic answer is yes. How that is done depends on a number of factors, including whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 genital herpes. Type 1 herpes in the genitals will easily infect the partners mouth. Type 2 is much less likely to cause an oral infection. If you use a barrier, such as a dental dam, the chance of contracting herpes will be reduced significantly. If you use cheap plastic wrap, the chance will be even lower, because it is much bigger than a dental dam, and covers more area. Also, since it is dirt cheap, you are more likely to use it! Interestingly, many women I know tell me that they *prefer* oral sex with a barrier, because direct stimulation of the clitoris often is too strong; the plastic wrap reduces the intensity just enough. Another way to safeguard your partner is to take medication that suppresses the herpes virus on a maintenance basis (continuously); the best choice in most cases would be valacyclovir. This can be gotten for about 30 cents a pill, and you would take one each day. For most people, this will completely eliminate outbreaks; it also dramatically reduces the likelihood of transmission, even without a barrier. (Though I would still recommend using the barrier.) And if your partner *also* takes valacyclovir, it seems to give a temporary immunity to herpes infection. So if you used all three prevention methods, the likelihood of infecting a partner would be virtually zero. If you use any two of them, the likelihood would still be extremely low. If you are only going to use one, I suspect the barrier protection would be the safest choice.