Receiving oral sex can feel really good—with the operative word there being can. Beyond a partner’s potentially subpar technique, there are a number of other factors that can downgrade the experience from orgasmic to awkward (or even downright awful). That’s where Lorals underwear comes in to save the day. It aims to save oral sex from pleasure prohibitors like scratchy facial hair, dry lips, or the stress of mess if you’re on your period or engaging in anal play. And as of May 10, 2022, the Lorals for Protection style has FDA clearance to prevent STI transmission during oral sex.

“Lorals are single-use, ultra-stretchy, ultra-thin latex undies that maximize pleasure, comfort, and fun,” says sex educator and LGBTQ+ advocate Melanie Cristol, the founder and CEO of Lorals. “They’re designed to prevent skin-to-skin contact and fluid transfer” during sex acts such as cunnilingus, analingus, scissoring, anal fingering, vaginal fingering, and dry-humping, she says.

Lorals for Protection — $25.00

Basically, Lorals ($25 for pack of 4) are the lovechild of lingerie and dental dams. Dental dams are, as a reminder, a simple sheet made of latex or nitrile that can be held over a vulva or anus during cunnilingus or analingus to prevent the exchange of infection-causing bacteria, and therefore reduce the risk of STIs and intestinal infections. In fact, the very reason Cristol says she created Lorals was to offer a no-hands-required variation of the dental dam. “I wanted people with STIs to be able to have as much oral as they want with the help of a barrier that also makes them feel sexy.”

“I wanted people with STIs to be able to have as much oral as they want with the help of a barrier that also makes them feel sexy.” —Melanie Cristol, founder and CEO of Lorals

There are plenty of other reasons to get down with Lorals underwear. For one, they remedy common turn-offs tied to oral play, such as self-consciousness around scent or taste, says sex educator Kait Scalisi, MPH, founder of Passion By Kait, a platform designed to help people discover what brings them pleasure. “They can also help prevent beard burn, gender dysphoria, pelvic pain, and hypersensitivity to make it easier to actually experience pleasure during oral sex.”

The latex panties also work really well for couples who want to ease into exploring oral anal and anal fingering, because they cover the anus, thus eliminating any worry about issues relating to fecal matter. Furthermore, Cristol says many two-vulva couples enjoy wearing them during scissoring.

Here’s what happened when I tried Lorals underwear

Some people enjoy the look and feel of latex, but I am not one of those people. So I was beyond skeptical when I was told that a pair of the latex panties would improve my sex life. But then my girlfriend and I tried them.

Lorals come in two different styles: shortie and bikini, and the brand sent me one of each. At random, my girlfriend and I each chose a pair then headed to opposite sides of the room to put them on. When I ripped open the package, I was pleasantly surprised that they neither smelled nor felt anything like a deflated balloon, which is what I typically associate with latex.

The sexperience only went uphill from there, though. When I looked over at my partner and at myself in the mirror, I was shocked by how much the Lorals looked like any other black panties! Even when I got up close and personal to my boo’s bits, I couldn’t tell that the undies were made of latex. Plain and simple, she looked hot.

Arousing aesthetics aside, Lorals invited a sense of play into the sex we had. We had so much fun exploring, touching, and “tasting” each other through the product. Additionally, while I sometimes get overly sensitive during cunnilingus, thanks to the buffer between my girlfriend’s finger or tongue and my body, I lasted longer in bed than I usually do. A lengthy sex sesh filled with laughter and orgasm? Yes, please.

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