Let’s dive into a trending topic that’s caught the internet completely off guard—something called the “rainbow kiss.” While the name might sound innocent, even whimsical, like it could be a sweet gesture or maybe even a colorful makeup trend, the reality is far from it. Before you rush to look it up out of curiosity, be warned—most people who did instantly regretted it.
In fact, countless reactions online are from users declaring they’re “scarred for life” after finding out what it actually means. So what exactly is a rainbow kiss, and why is it generating such strong responses across social media? In the most PG explanation possible, a rainbow kiss is a sexual act that combines two very specific bodily fluids—semen and menstrual blood. Typically performed during mutual oral sex in the 69 position, it ends with both partners sharing a kiss while each still has one of the fluids in their mouth. The resulting mixture is where the term “rainbow” supposedly comes from, referring to the colorful blend of fluids. As you can imagine, this revelation left plenty of people shocked, confused, and in many cases, completely grossed out.
TikTok and Twitter lit up with people reacting to the term. “I should never have searched that,” one user lamented, while another simply wrote, “I am shaking.” Others took a more comedic approach, declaring, “I’m never going to do that,” or “Why did I need to know this?” It’s safe to say the rainbow kiss wasn’t exactly the viral trend anyone was expecting—and definitely not one most people were asking for. There’s also been confusion between the rainbow kiss and another graphic sexual act called “snowballing,” which involves the sharing of semen through kissing after oral sex. While the two are sometimes mentioned in the same breath online, they’re separate trends that both push the envelope in terms of shock value and discussion.
Dr. Wendasha Jenkins Hall, a sex educator from Atlanta, weighed in on the subject by saying that the rainbow kiss is essentially a “level up” from the traditional 69 position, making it a more advanced or daring form of sexual exploration. “Rainbow kisses are not for the faint of heart,” she told Cosmopolitan, emphasizing that this act goes beyond what many people would consider conventional sexual behavior. But while some might find the act shocking, others in the sex education and therapy world suggest we examine why it makes people so uncomfortable. Dr. Neil Cannon, a certified sex therapist based in Denver, believes the stigma surrounding period sex has a lot to do with it. “When it comes to sex, all roads lead to shame,” he explained, adding that menstruation is often unnecessarily viewed as taboo or dirty.
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Cannon argues that menstrual blood is just another natural bodily fluid, and the strong reactions to it reveal more about societal attitudes than about the act itself. That said, health experts also stress the importance of safety when it comes to engaging in any sexual activity involving bodily fluids. Dr. Heather Irobunda, a board-certified OB-GYN, warns that both semen and menstrual blood can transmit sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. If either partner has open sores, cuts, or bleeding gums, the risk of infection increases significantly. For this reason, Dr. Irobunda advises people to steer clear of acts like the rainbow kiss unless both parties have been tested and know each other’s STI status. She also recommends routine testing every three to six months as a general rule for anyone who’s sexually active, regardless of relationship status. Although rainbow kisses aren’t new to the world of kink and sexual experimentation, they’re a perfect example of how internet trends can suddenly spotlight acts that many have never heard of before. With platforms like TikTok and Twitter driving these conversations, topics once reserved for private whispers are now going viral, fueling curiosity, judgment, and discussion. So whether you’re intrigued, horrified, or simply amazed that this is even a thing, one thing’s for sure: the rainbow kiss is one trend that’s hard to ignore. If you’re considering exploring it yourself, make sure you know the health risks, get tested, and have a fully consensual and open conversation with your partner. And if you’d rather stay far away from the whole idea, that’s perfectly fine too. Either way, now you know what it is—and hopefully, you won’t need to Google it.
