How Normal Is It To Gag During Oral?

If you’ve ever found yourself worrying that your gag reflex is getting in the way during oral sex, you’re not the only one. Plenty of people find themselves wondering if it’s normal to gag during oral and here, we get into it and answer your most intimate questions. So check that gag reflex and click on.

Body. Our body’s anatomy is designed so that we are ready to defend ourselves against any unfamiliar objects that come our way (literally and figuratively).

Choking. Our gag reflex lives in the back of our throats, and is there to keep us from choking should anything happen to accidentally make its way down.

HGR. Normally, only large objects trigger our gag reflex, but according to Live Science, around 10 to 15 percent of people suffer from a hypersensitive gag reflex, where people tend to gag when they eat foods that get stuck to their mouths, like caramel or mashed potatoes.

Gag. Our gag reflexes don’t just always react when it comes to eating. Giving someone oral sex can also cause us to gag, for obvious reasons. Our mouths have trigger spots, and when something hits it, we gag.

Mouths. According to Cosmopolitan, the most sensitive parts of our mouths are the roof of the mouth and the back or the side of your tongue and your throat. This is the part of the mouth that is know as the back third.

Sensitive. For some people, having a sensitive gag reflex not only keeps them from being able to give oral sex, but also keeps them from doing every day things like brushing their teeth or going to the dentist.

Psychological. For some people however, gagging doesn’t just happen when they eat or when something touches their gag reflex. HGR, which we mentioned earlier, can also cause people to have a psychological reaction to gagging, and it doesn’t always get triggered by putting something in their mouths, but by other factors.

Response. "In my experience, gagging during oral sex is often because of a coercive or unwanted sexual experience. It sort of becomes a body memory. There's a conditioned response,” says sex therapist Megan Fleming, as reported by Cosmopolitan.

Triggers. Aside from not wanting to give oral sex or not enjoying it, gagging can also be triggered by someone’s smell, overthinking the situation, or fear that something bad will happen, reports Cosmopolitan.

Protection. "I always say to women, 'It's your body's way of protecting you and protecting yourself. But the most important thing is that so often it leads to avoidance. It's been conditioned by a particular traumatic experience, and you don't want that to rule the rest of your life,” says Fleming, as reported by Cosmopolitan.

Struggle. If you find yourself struggling with being able to perform oral sex without gagging, there are several approaches you can take to tackle the problem, some being a little more extreme than others.

Differentiate. Try to figure out why it is that you are having a hard time performing oral sex. Is it because you don’t like it, or because you can’t figure out the best way to do it that is enjoyable for both you and your partner?

Products. There are certain products you can try that are specifically made for you to be able to give oral sex without having to deal with your gag reflex. You can try out oral sex mints or gels that are supposedly made to numb your gag reflex.

Pressure. Figure out what it is your man likes. Some people find themselves struggling to perform oral sex because they feel pressured to do the things they see in adult films.

Tricks. Chances are, your guy isn’t expecting you to do all kinds of crazy tricks, he’s probably just happy he’s even getting some in the first place.