Mmm… rimjobs. Am I right? But, did you know participating in unprotected anilingus can result in retching? Really. Read on to learn how to avoid shigella, the anus-to-oral transmittable STI.

Cheerio! Rearing up to bury your face in those assless chaps and munch away on a chocolate starfish? About to dive in and lick bunghole like it's a devil's food cupcake?

Wait! Not so fast! Safer anilingus requires some forethought and preparation. Bacteria, fungus, parasites, and viruses are the invisible plagues which present hidden dangers during all unprotected sex acts.

Hopefully, you are already aware of the STDs and STIs you can catch and/or pass along during oral sex with a penis or vagina. If not, check out “7 STDs You can Catch from Oral Sex.”

As I mentioned in “Cunnilingus Tips, Tricks & Techniques,” using a barrier method to shield each partner from potential problems is key to maintaining a healthy reproductive ecosystem.

Not only can other bacteria like E. coli enter into the vaginal canal or urinary tract from back and forth transfer from anus to vagina during oral and cause bacterial vaginosis and/or a UTI, HSV-1, HPV, and hepatitis are also easily spread from anus-to-mouth or from mouth-to-anus.

Add the intestinal infection causing strain of bacteria known as shigella into this already anus-clenching mix of maladies and eating out an anus suddenly seems quite hazardous to your health.

While shigella is a lesser known STI, even in the safer-sex education world, it is all too real and not nearly as rare as you might think. A highly contagious strain of bacteria, shigella transfer occurs when direct contact/ingestion with infected fecal matter.

Symptoms of this raunchy side effect of rimjobs include:

• vomiting
• stomach cramping/pain
• fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher
• dehydration
• weight loss
• diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood
• increased likelihood of seizures (if epileptic)
• rectal prolapse
• toxic megacolon
• reactive arthritis

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have the highest percentage of recently reported cases of the shigella bacteria strain, but anyone can get it no matter what gender or sexual orientation they are. Once diagnosed by a professional through a culture test, shigella is treatable with antibiotics and usually lasts around a week. However, bowel movements are likely to remain abnormal for up to three months after treatment.

So what can be done to prevent all these raunchiness from rimming? Barriers! Our dental dams are so well loved for use during anilingus. Currently we have flavored and non-flavored and even a new latex free variety for our latex sensitive or latex allergic customers. 

Don’t have a dental dam on hand at all times? No problem! It’s super easy to turn any flavored condom or traditional condom into a dental dam! You may have to use a pair of scissors the first few times, but you’ll be biting and tearing condoms like a champ after a few trial runs.

Not going so great and you need a little pre-game practice? The next time some of your condoms expire, don’t just toss them in the trash. Make a game of it and see how fast you can open them up and fashion a no-tools-needed barrier for oral sex out of a condom.

The only condom material which is inappropriate for use as a dental dam is lambskin which is a natural membrane which has pores large enough for STIs to pass through. But, any other latex or non-latex condom will offer protection.