If you ever heard about a rainbow kiss before, or if you are here to find out more about it, just prepare to delete it from your dictionary after reading this. I will talk about what a rainbow kiss means, its health implications, and by extension, why it should never have been conceived by mankind.
First of all, let me reintroduce myself to lay more veracity to my claims about the rainbow kiss in this article. I am a medical professional (medical doctor) who has had several years of studying the human body, diseases, and how they are managed. Not too long ago, I stumbled across a new sexual practice known as the rainbow kiss, and I began to wonder if anyone actually does practice it. This is something you should never think about trying out.
Over the years, humans have invented several sexual fetishes, many of which I consider abnormal; the rainbow kiss is also one such sexual fetish that has been invented. And here, you will learn more about what it means and why you should never have thought about it at all.
What is a rainbow kiss?
A rainbow kiss is a disgusting sexual act that can be described as follows: a sexual fetish/practice that involves a man going down on a woman during her menses while they are both having oral sex in the “69” position. Thereafter, the man takes in period blood with his mouth and kisses the woman who has also taken semen in her own mouth, and they both mix the content while they kiss.
It is such an unimaginable act and judging from my knowledge of medicine, it is something I have countless reasons against.
However, some experts have claimed that the rainbow kiss could have some sexual benefits. They have been liberal enough not to condemn it while giving justifiable reasons why it could be beneficial to sexual partners and couples. However, there are countless reasons to the contrary.
For example, Danyell Fima, a co-founder of Velvet Co. (featured on Cosmopolitan), explained that “a rainbow kiss is a great way for everyone to enjoy the few minutes of cathartic bliss right after you both orgasm. Consider that the goal.”
Sadie Allison (Ph.D.), founder of TickleKitty.com also featured on Cosmopolitan, said in an interview, “like the hundreds of other fetishes out there, this ‘unique’ activity (referring to the rainbow kiss) is perfectly okay to do so long as it’s agreed upon by two consenting adults.”.
Lastly, Wendasha Jenkins Hall (Ph.D.), another sex expert in the United States, also pointed out that “orgasms can actually help relieve menstrual cramps, so rainbow kisses may not be a bad idea for those who are adventurous and kinky”.
All of these claims seek to provide a safe non-condemning ground for those who are practicing or who are interested in the rainbow kiss. But that may not be the case judging from the standpoint of the hygienic and medical implications of the act of rainbow kiss.
How was the rainbow kiss invented?
No one knows exactly who invented the rainbow kiss but the term became very popular after it trended a few years ago as a video on TikTok. This trend was mostly in the form of a question asking people to Google what rainbow kiss means. What they found disgusts many of them who turned back to trick others into searching for the term as well.
An earlier mention of the term “rainbow kiss” could be traced to a play by Simon Farquhar, a Scottish script-writer. This play which was staged in the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2006, was about a young man who fell in love with a woman with whom he had a one-night stand, and had no interest in a relationship with him. I really do not see any correlation between how rainbow kiss was used in that play and what it is known to be today.
The rainbow kiss is thus a misnomer because neither does it have anything to do with the rainbow nor does it produce brilliant colors (as much as I know, a mixture of those body fluids should not produce brilliant colors).
The safety of the rainbow kiss
A popular online doctor, Dr. Harvey Olufunmilayo, once said in a tweet that rainbow kiss is gross, simply dirty, and medically unsafe. He also added that people should not engage in it while noting the health risks associated with the act.
The rainbow kiss may increase the risk of transmission of infections. Contact with blood and body fluids is known to be associated with a high risk of transmission of viral hepatitis, HIV, and human papillomavirus. The unhygienic nature of the fluids swallowed during the process of a rainbow kiss can increase the risk for enteric infections like diarrhea or dysentery. Several other diseases can be transmitted via the rainbow, thus reaffirming that the practice is unsafe and should be discouraged.
Medical evidence against the rainbow kiss
Exposure to blood has been shown to pose a very high risk for the transmission of blood-borne infections like HIV, HBV, HCV, and HPV, especially among healthcare workers (HCWs).[1]Risk and Management of Blood-Borne Infections in Health Care Workers – PMC This is commonly due to accidental needle pricks after injecting or operating on an infected patient. This has warranted the use of post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the establishment of infection among HCWs.
Semen is a high-risk medium for the transmission of several sexually transmitted infections including HIV, CMV, HPV, HHV-6, HSV, CT, EBV, and to a small extent, HBV.[2]Prevalence of sexually transmissible pathogens in semen… – PMC
Studies have shown a positive association between the transmission of gonococcal infections and sex during menstruation. The risk of HIV infection is also higher following contact with a menses from an infected woman.[3]Risk of Gonococcal Infection During Vaginal Exposure is Associated with high Vaginal pH and Active Menstruation – PMC
To further buttress the infectibility of blood for blood-borne infections, a study done in 2010 showed that unsafe injections were responsible for as many as 33,800 new HIV infections, 1.7 million hepatitis B infections, and 315,000 hepatitis C infections.[4]Pépin J, Abou Chakra CN, Pépin E, Nault V, Valiquette L. Evolution of the global burden of viral infections from unsafe medical injections, 2000-2010.PLoSOne. 2014 Jun 9;9(6):e99677
Why is rainbow kiss practiced?
The next question you may have is why is rainbow kiss practiced despite the negativities associated with it? Even before that, I would like to ask “do people even practice it?
There is no denying the fact that people do practice the rainbow kiss. People are often very curious to try out new things. Various kinks and fetishes have been invented today, and the list is almost endless. Hall added at some point that period sex might appeal to folks who enjoy “blood play” which might be derived from ideas about vampires, werewolves, skin cutting, or menstrual blood, all based on their curiosity and what extent they are willing to go to satisfy their fetishism.
There doesn’t seem to be any other reason why the rainbow kiss is being practiced other than the individual’s desire to try something new. However, there should be a limit to what we try out especially when it is outrightly unsafe and unhygienic. Jenkins Hall also noted that necessary precautions like getting tested for HIV and STIs should be done if you are giving or receiving oral sex, especially when your partner is menstruating, or avoid contact with menstrual blood by focusing only on clitoral stimulation.
Sex experts including Hall are de-emphasizing the taboo of the rainbow kiss and making non-condemning statements about the rainbow kiss. But while it may give some satisfaction to those who practice it, it is considered dirty, unclean, and unsafe.
Injuries to the mouth and genital can increase the chances of acquiring sexually transmitted infections during a rainbow kiss. Allison also added that the two adults involved must consent to the act before going ahead to try it out.
Final words
The rainbow kiss is unsafe, and unhygienic, a practice that should never have been invented. You have learned about what it means and have seen how gross the fetish is. Evidence abounds against the rainbow kiss and its association with a greater risk of transmission of infections. With these, you should be able to educate someone else who is arguing in favor of the rainbow kiss.
References
↑1 | Risk and Management of Blood-Borne Infections in Health Care Workers – PMC |
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↑2 | Prevalence of sexually transmissible pathogens in semen… – PMC |
↑3 | Risk of Gonococcal Infection During Vaginal Exposure is Associated with high Vaginal pH and Active Menstruation – PMC |
↑4 | Pépin J, Abou Chakra CN, Pépin E, Nault V, Valiquette L. Evolution of the global burden of viral infections from unsafe medical injections, 2000-2010.PLoSOne. 2014 Jun 9;9(6):e99677 |