Basic Types of Sexual  Behavior

2. Heterosexual Intercourse: Oral Intercourse

Cunnilinctus

Cunnilinctus Silver door ornament from a brothel in Beijing, China. 19th century. Courtesy China Sex Museum, Tongli

The term "cunnilinctus" (lat. cunnus: vulva and linguere: to lick) is used to describe the licking or sucking of the female sex organs.
A woman's external sex organs and the surrounding areas usually represent the most sensitive erogenous zones of her body. They are easily stimulated by regular, soft strokes of the hand, or by gentle and passionate kisses. Thus, a man may greatly arouse a woman by licking the inside of her thighs, the space between the sex organs and the anus (the perineum), and the anus itself. He can further heighten her pleasure by kissing, licking, and sucking the minor lips of her vulva and the shaft of the clitoris. Indeed, with some practice, he may very well bring her to orgasm this way.
A man who licks a woman's sex organs should ask her how she likes it best and then follow her instructions. In situations, where the man cannot get an erection, he may discover that prolonged oral stimulation alone often leaves a woman completely satisfied. On the other hand, a man may also use cunnilinctus simply as a means of arousal before switching to other forms of sexual intercourse.
With mounting sexual excitement, a woman's vagina secretes some special lubricating fluid. In a healthy woman, this fluid is quite clean and can be swallowed without any ill effects. The obvious exception is the infectious fluid of a woman with a sexually transmitted disease. In recent years the cosmetics industry has begun to produce certain "feminine hygiene" sprays and sweet-smelling vaginal douches. These superfluous products may upset the vaginal ecology and thus cause infection and irritation. A woman should therefore avoid all vaginal douching and simply wash her sex organs with soap and water. The vagina cleanses itself with its own secretions. Unusual vaginal secretions or odors are a sure sign that something is wrong. In such a case, a physician should be consulted.
Some couples may avoid cunnilinctus during the woman's menstrual period for aesthetic reasons. This is a matter of personal preference. However, it has been suggested that no man should lick or suck a woman's sex organs in the last stages of pregnancy because air blown into the vagina may then be dangerous to the woman’s health and that of her fetus. In fact, in the late stages of pregnancy some caution and circumspection is advisable for all forms of sexual intercourse (see "Pregnancy.").