Yes, you can use a Sheer Glyde Dam. This is a latex barrier that you place between your mouth and a female’s genitals to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

STIs can be spread through both giving and receiving oral sex, because the bacteria and viruses that cause STIs are carried live on the mucus membrane of the genitals and mouth and in blood, vaginal fluids, and semen. So, if your partner has an STI and your mouth comes in contact with any of these fluids or infected skin, you can get that STI, too.

When you give oral sex to a female, you should always put a barrier between your mouth and her vulva (vaginal area). This barrier is called a Sheer Glyde Dam, which is a thin, latex square. When used correctly, it decreases the risk of STI transmission during oral sex. Some people cut open a flavored condom to make their own dam, but only the Sheer Glyde Dam has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for STI prevention.

You can purchase the Sheer Glyde Dam on the Internet (wherever condoms are sold) or through its Web site. Or contact your local family planning clinic by looking in the yellow pages under “clinics” or “family planning.”