Invented by Sanford Barnum in 1864 for dental practice, the dental dam was used to separate out one tooth in the mouth and protect against contamination. It wasn’t until the late 1980s during the rise of the HIV epidemic that the public began using this product for oral sex. To this day, the effectiveness of dental dams is highly contested; the official narrative states that they provide protection against sexually transmitted infections, but no formal clinical trials have been done to test this assertion. Despite this, they are undoubtedly better means of protection than using nothing at all. Interestingly, although partners of all kinds engage in cunnilingus, dental dams have historically been marketed to queer women alone, who are also the largest demographic to use them. Dental dams can also be used for anilingus, meaning they can truly be used for any body or orientation.
Just like the male condom, the internal condom protects against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The first historical mention of the female or internal condom comes from Greek mythology, where god Minos inserts a goat’s bladder into his mistress to catch his poisonous ejaculatory fluid. In 1923, Marie Stopes created a thick, rubber version of the internal condom, which resembled a sheath designed to rest in the vaginal canal. The internal condom as we know it today was first approved by the FDA in 1993, distributed by Wisconsin Pharmaceutical and made of polyurethane, which was designed to be washed and reused. However, consumers were not satisfied with this model, citing the noises the material made and the high price point, so the material was soon changed to nitrile. While this version was more popular, internal condoms remain underused by the population and are most commonly found in sex shops at a pharmacy with a prescription, compared to male condoms which are found at most drugstores and convenience stores.
Although dental dams and internal condoms are not the most popular methods, they empower vagina owners to be in control of their sexual experience. They are also inclusive to the LBGTQ+ community because they both work for vagina owners regardless of the anatomy of their partners. Their availability alone sends the message that the sexual health of those outside the cisgender, heterosexual normative is important and worth protecting. With further research, testing, development, and availability, these methods could become larger fixtures in contraceptive care and serve a greater purpose in multiple communities.
By Sydney Sullivan