I’m on rotation in the popular “Ask the Wise Guys” feature at Em & Lo This week’s question was

“For guys who like to give oral sex, what’s the appeal? What differentiates them from the guys who seem to hate giving it?”

Read the other Wise Guy responses here.

Here’s how I answered:

I’m going to go out on a limb and say guys who find it appealing enjoy it for the same reasons women who enjoy it like eating their partners. It involves all our senses — sight, sound, hearing, taste, touch, and scent. It’s sensual and pleasurable the same way kissing a partner’s lips and face is. We like it because we’re right there so it’s easy to tell the effect we’re having. And because we know it can feel really, really nice for our partner. Also it’s a skill and because you can always learn something new about doing it. And it’s just cool to feel present and in control while your partner’s dissolving into inarticulate quivers. In other words, as I said, it’s for the same reasons many women say they like going down on their partners.

For guys who hate it? Again I’m guessing it’s not that different for women who don’t like giving either. You feel obliged. Your partner won’t do it to you unless you do it to them. You heard somewhere you’re supposed to. You don’t like the taste, or the smell, or the feeling of someone’s private parts pushing into your face. You have bad associations with it. You think it’s undignified or unbecoming or inappropriate or exploitive. You think it’s a necessary step on the way to “the real thing” so you want to get it over with as quickly as possible. You think if either you or maybe they “were any good” you’d both be satisfied with “real” sex, i.e. intercourse. In other words, much like the same reason some women don’t want to go down on their partners.

Just as it’s nice to enjoy receiving or giving, it’s also okay not to. Not everyone likes to go down, and not everyone likes to be gone down on. Just don’t pretend.