[Question #10301] Mutually unprotected oral
24 months ago
|
Dear doctors,
Im a 45 year old male. I recently (one week ago) engaged in extra marital unprotected oral sex with a younger female (on her 20s). She is a known person from Costa Rica and we met in a business trip.
We deep kissed and had unprotected oral sex both ways (oral on my penis, and oral on her vagina). I felt a bad odor from her vagina. I dont know how much it lasted, but could be a couple of minutes or so.
I regret this, with fear of exposing STI to my family.
I asked her if she run STIs tests, she said she never did but that her former boyfriend did and was clean (!?), and that she did only protected sex after him. Also she don’t seem to realize that unprotected oral does carries risks.
After 3 or 4 days i had a kind of outbreak in my lips: 3 pimples white in the center, isolated in different locations, exactly where lips ends and skin begins. I had this in the past, so i was not worried. But My 2 year daughter saw it and quickly touched it out of curiosity in the morning. At the end of the day she started with a almost 39o celsius fever. Could I have infected her?
I also had unprotected sex with my wife at that day.
The day after i developed a kind of sore (canker?) inside my mouth, in a inner cheek. It is really painful, kind of erupted format and white in the center. I started to become really worried at this stage, thinking that i contracted something.
The mouth ulcer is still there, but less painful and probably smaller now.
I blew all the lesions in my mouth, as it was a acne pimple, some liquid and blood went out.
My throat is quite red as it seems
Inflamed, but not sore.
No other symptoms like painful urination so far (im 7 days from exposure).
Please your advice, should I get tested for STIs? What is my risk from this?
Thank you
![]() |
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
24 months ago
|
Welcome back to the forum. Thank you for your continued confidence in our services.
Oral sex is generally safe sex, with zero risk for some STDs and very low for all. The chance of catching an oral STD by cunnilingus -- oral-vaginal sex -- is lowest risk of all. That said, your oral symptoms are suggestive of possible oral herpes, which could be either HSV1 from kissing or HSV2 from cunnilingus. New oral herpes also could go along with the "canker sore" in your mouth. I don't know what to make of your throat looking "red" but not being sore; initial herpes typically causes a severe sore throat. On the other hand, your description of having has similar oral lesions in the past suggest you might already have oral herpes, i.e. unrelated to the recent sexual exposure.
Your daughter could not have contracted something from your one day and already develop fever the same day; any and all infections take at lest 36-48 hr to start to cause symptoms.
Your one-time partner's vaginal odor raises the risks: the most common causes are bacterial vaginosis and trichomonas, and both of these are more common in women with gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and other STIs (and trichomonas is an STI itself).
I would advise you to see a physician promptly about your oral lesions etc, and that probably should include a PCR (i.e. DNA test) for HSV. If this is herpes, my bet is that you do NOT have a new infection, but recurrence of an older one. (Do you have past experience with oral herpes, i.e. cold sores?) You also should discuss the situation with your Costa Rican partner; it would be helpful if she would agree to be tested (or re-tested) for STIs; and also ask if she has had genital or oral herpes herself.
With no genital symptoms 7 days after exposure, it is very unlikely you have a urethral or penile STI.
These are not the replies you hoped to hear, but I hope they get you started on and answers you need. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
HHH, MD
---
24 months ago
|
Thank you Doctor for your reply.
I tested in the past positive for Herpes Simplex type 1 (igC), and negative for type 2. The lesions on the mouth are already gone. Btw i have seborrheic dermatitis in the face, and it also flamed up (red patches close to the nose) altogether with the mouth lesions.
I went to the dentist today (routine), and he told me that the inner cheek “canker sore” was actually a “bloated salivary gland”. It is smaller now and less painful.
Not sure if im having anxiety symptoms, but now i feel pain under my left armpit (very real, but i did small punctured my left finger yesterday, so could be it, not sure), and sometimes i think i feel pain in the groin and irritation at the tip of the penis. My throat is starting to feel irritated.I think im peeying more, not sure.
Said that, should i seek a physician and specific tests for those STIs? Could i get this trichomonas or the others in the mouth?
Thank you
![]() |
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
24 months ago
|
You're the only one who can judge whether your symptoms are emotionally based -- but whenever someone suspects his or her own symptoms have a psychological origin, usually s/she is correct. Herpes lesions can't clear up so quickly -- I can't comment on your dentist's diagnosis of "bloated salivary gland".
If we put aside your symptoms, the exposure itself was nearly zero risk for any and all STDs. Whether or not you decide to see a physician for testing to confirm that you do not have a new STI has to be your decision.
---
24 months ago
|
Dear Dr HHH,
For the last past 2 days I experienced redness in tip of penis and also a irritation/burning sensation there. The sensation went way last night, and today when I woke up I urinated and then I got a white discharge. It is day 10 from the Oral exposure, and now I think it is clear I contracted something. Yesterday i did tests for HSV, Sifilis, HIV, chlamydia (urine pcr) and gonorrheia (urine pcr), HEP B and C.
Im devastated with the anticipation that my family will end due this stupid episode.
I had unprotected vaginal sex with my wife on day 3 and 5 after the episode. Likely I already infected her?
Thank you.
![]() |
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
24 months ago
|
I agree it is likely you acquired nongonococcal urethritis (NGU). When NGU follows oral sex, all STD tests normally are negative, and it's not really an STD in the normal sense: it is believed that it usually results because the urethra is exposed to new bacteria from the oral cavity, but harmless ones. You need to get medical care in person (just testing yourself in a lab is not sufficient) to confirm urethritis and prescribe treatment, which should be with doxycycline. Find a doctor who understands STDs well, ideally an STD clinic or sexual health expert.
---
Probably such infections are harmless to newly exposed partners, i.e. your wife may not be at significant health risk. On the other hand, this really isn't known for sure, and standard practice is for exposed partners to be treated. Most likely your doctor will agree (assuming you see someone who understands STDs). But most likely you're going to need to explain the situation to your wife, and to be maximally safe she will need to be examined and tested for common STDs. For the reasons implied above, I would expect those test results to be negative -- but she still will need treatment, ideally also with doxycycline.
Normally threads are closed after two follow-up questions and replies. However, I will leave his open for one more cycle. I suggest waiting until you have been seen professionally and can report that doctor's advice, the treatment you are given, and plans for your wife. Good luck.
------
24 months ago
|
Hi Dr, Im ok to submit a new question as follow up once this one closes, appreciate your help.
Sharing some updates:
- the tests dine on 9 day after exposure came back negative for Urine PCR for chlamidya and gono, and neg blood test results for the other STDs l except HS1.
I went to see a Urologist on day 10 after exposure.. he examined me and found no discharge (that i had early that day,and never happened again). I explained that I had the 2 previous days with redness and pain in tip of penis and increased frequency and urge to pee. Also Unexplained that this sensation went way that night, and that I woke up, went for pee, and some seconds later (maybe 1 or 2 minutes) i felt something get out of my penis - I checked and was a white secretion, that was kind in spiral in my penis starting from the uretra. He said the natura end of redness, soreness pee urgency is not a common “behavour” of STDs (should go away only with meds).
He asked me to test again for urine for PCR Chlamidia (negative again), also for culture Aero and Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma, both still in process.
He started me in Doxi and Cipro on that day. We will talk again after tests are complete and discuss the approach with my wife. Im avoiding any sexual contact with her.
The CR girl did blood tests, and negative for all including HIV, Sifilis, Hep B and C, HSV 1 and 2. In her test was also Anti-Chlamydia trachomatis IgG and IgM. She also did urine tests, but will be ready only end of next week.
Pls your help with those questions:
1- are my chlamydia and gono tests realiabe, with those days after exposure?
2- this chlamydia blood test of her is useful/realiable?
3- what about trich? Should i not be tested for it?
4- any additional guidance?
I will create a new question when i have new info. Thank you so much.
![]() |
H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
24 months ago
|
1. Yes, those results are reliable. Chlamydia was impossible anyway; as discussed above, it is rarely if ever transmitted by oral sex. Gonorrhea was very unlikely because its symptoms begin within 3-5 days.
---
2. No. Chlamydia blood tests are useless. If negative, they do not indicate chlamydia is not present; and if positive, it usually is because of past infection, or infection with related but different bacteria. Chlamydia testing is never done by knowledgeable STD experts. "CR girl"'s urine chlamydia test is more important for her health, but will say nothing about whether or not she had oral chlamydia. But even if she did, you would not have been infected with chlamydia -- and you know you were not.
3. Trichomonas does not infect the mouth or throat and therefore cannot be acquired by oral sex. The same for mycoplasma and ureaplasma, and anyway these are normal in the genital tract; you could well have either one, but not from the exposure described. If these tests are positive, you would not need treatment -- although doxycycline would usually eradicate them (but only temporarily).
4. Doxycycline treatment is what you needed; the ciprofloxacin is unnecessary. I'm a bit nervous about relying on the urologist about advice for your wife. That he tested you again for chlamydia, and also for mycoplasma/ureaplasma suggests he may not be up to speed on STDs. (Urologists' experience and knowledge about STDs is variable between countries: in Japan, urologists generally are the most knowledgeable about STDs, but not so in the US. I don't know where Argentina stands in this regard.) I don't know what you mean by "culture Aero"; no STD bacteria has such a name.
Assuming your symptoms clear up with treatment and your wife also is treated with doxycycline, I don't see a need for another question on this topic. But of course feel free to return if necessary.