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==Cultural, spiritual, and religious significance==
[[File:Sexual scene on pompeian mural.jpg|thumb|ပွန်ပေမြို့ဟောင်းရှိ ဘာဂျာပေးနေပုံပန်းချီကား]]
===တာအို(တောက်)ဝါဒ===
Although not spoken of openly in Western society until recently, cunnilingus is accorded a revered place in [[Taoism]]. This is because the practice was believed to achieve longevity, and the loss of semen, vaginal, and other bodily liquids is believed to bring about a corresponding loss of vitality. Conversely, by either semen retention or ingesting the secretions from the vagina, a male or female can conserve and increase his/her ''[[ch'i]],'' or original vital breath. In Taoism:
{{quotation|The ''Great Medicine of the Three Mountain Peaks'' is to be found in the body of the woman and is composed of three juices, or essences: one from the woman's mouth, another from her breasts, and the third, the most powerful, from the ''Grotto of the White Tiger,'' which is at the ''Peak of the Purple Mushroom'' (the mons veneris).|[[Octavio Paz]]. ''Conjunctions and Disjunctions''. trans. Helen R. Lane. 1975. (London: [[Wildwood House (publisher)|Wildwood House]], 1969) p. 97.}}
[[File:Édouard-Henri Avril (24).jpg|thumb|left|[[Édouard-Henri Avril]] drawing depicting the life of [[Sappho]]]]
According to Philip Rawson (in Paz, p. 97), these half-poetic, half-medicinal metaphors explain the popularity of cunnilingus among people: "The practice was an excellent method of imbibing the precious feminine fluid" (Paz, p. 97). But the Taoist ideal is not just about the male being enriched by female secretions; the female also benefits from her communion with the male, a feature that has led the [[sinology|sinologist]], Kristofer Schipper, to denounce the ancient handbooks on the "Art of the Bedroom" as embracing a "kind of glorified male vampirism" that is not truly Taoist at all.<ref>[[Kristofer Schipper]]. [1982] 1993. ''The Taoist Body''. trans. Karen C. Duval. Berkeley; Los Angeles; (London: University of California Press). p. 148</ref> Ideally, by mingling the male and female liquids the Taoist aims to reconcile opposites and to recapture the mythical time that existed before the division of the sexes, the primordial time of the original ''ch'i.''
===တန်တြစ်ဝါဒ===
The religious historian [[Mircea Eliade]] speaks of a similar desire to transcend old age and death, and achieve a state of ''nirvana,'' in the [[Hindu]] practice of [[tantra|Tantric]] yoga. In Tantric yoga, the same emphasis is placed on the retention and absorption of vital liquids and [[Sanskrit]] texts describe how the male semen must not be emitted if the yogi is to avoid falling under law of time and death.<ref>Eliade Mircea. [1954] 1973. ''Yoga, Immortality and Freedom''. trans. Willard R. Trask. (Princeton: Princeton University Press). pp. 267–268</ref>
===Song of Songs===
Verse 7:3 (verse 7:2 in the King James Version of '''The Song of Solomon''') of the Biblical [[Song of Songs]] may contain a veiled reference to cunnilingus, although many translators render the key term "navel". The King James version renders the line, "Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor". ([[wikisource:Bible (King James)/Song of Solomon#7:2|KJV]])<ref>"[T]he description of the woman's aperture as containing wine implies the man's desire to drink from the sensual bowl. Thus, this may be a subtle and tasteful allusion to the intimacies of sex". Tremper Longman, ''Song of Songs'', B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2001, p. 195. See also J. S. Exum, "The Poetic Genius of the Song of Songs", in Hagedorn (ed), ''Perspectives on the Song of Songs'', Walter de Gruyter, 2005, p. 90</ref> An alternate translation could read as follows:
"Your vulva is a rounded crater, never lacking mixed wine"{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}}.
( הפות שלך היא מכתש מעוגל, לא חסר יין מעורבב)
The context, moving up from her sandals to her vulva to her belly to her breasts, however, makes the meaning of "vulva" (Heb. ''shor''), as derived from an Aramaic word meaning "secret place", all but conclusive.<ref>Cf. the brief discussion in Brown, Francis; Driver, S. R., and Briggs, Charles A. ''Hebrew & English Lexicon of the Old Testament''. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902; repr. 1978; p. 1057a. A more complete discussion is found in Frants Buhl's edition of ''Wilhelm Gesenius' hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das Alte Testament.'' Göttingen: Springer-Verlag, 1915; repr. 1962; p. 863a.</ref> In many Christian and Jewish traditions the erotic intimacy between the bride and groom described in the ''Song of Songs'' is given spiritual significance.
==ကျန်းမာရေးအန္တရာယ်==
[[Chlamydia infection|Chlamydia]], [[human papillomavirus]] (HPV), [[gonorrhea]], [[Herpes simplex virus|herpes]], [[hepatitis]] (multiple strains), and other [[sexually transmitted infections]] (STIs) — including [[HIV]] — can be transmitted through oral sex.<ref>{{cite web|title=Oral sex: looking after your sexual health|url=http://www.fpa.org.uk/helpandadvice/sexuallytransmittedinfectionsstis/oralsex|work=The Family Planning Association|publisher=The Family Planning Association|accessdate=7 July 2012}}</ref> The documented risk of HIV transmission through cunnilingus is considered to be extremely small, and far lower than that associated with [[fellatio]], [[vaginal sex|vaginal]] or [[anal sex]]. There have only ever been 2 documented cases of HIV transmission through cunnilingus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aidsmeds.com/articles/Transmission_9963.shtml |title=How is HIV Transmitted? : Specific Sexual Practices: What are the Risks? |publisher=Aidsmeds.com |date=2011-06-17 |accessdate=2012-07-02}}</ref><ref>http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/Factsheets/pdf/oralsex.pdf</ref> If the receiving partner has wounds or open sores on her genitals, or if the giving partner has wounds or open sores on or in his or her mouth, or bleeding gums, this poses an increased risk of STD transmission. Brushing the teeth, flossing, undergoing dental work, or eating crunchy foods such as potato chips relatively soon before or after performing cunnilingus can also increase the risk of disease transmission, because all of these activities can cause small scratches in the lining of the mouth. These wounds, even when they are [[microscopic]], increase the chances of contracting [[Sexually transmitted infection|STD]]s that can be transmitted orally under these conditions. Such contact can also lead to more mundane infections from common [[bacteria]] and [[viruses]] found in, around, and secreted from the genital regions.
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