[Question #11599] Oral Gonorrhea

13 months ago

I am a male who recently visited a female CSW who advertises that she gives good Bareback BJs (not why I visited her, just something in her ad that causes me concern). During the massage we briefly french kissed lightly (60 seconds) and I received a handjob. No other contact (no vaginal, anal or oral sex). I took 200MG of Doxy-PEP 60 hours afterwards

1) What is my risk of acquiring oral gonorrhea from the event? The Australian research controversy has me concerned. I know my risk is low, but is it 1 in 100 or 1 in millions? I don't expect a specific answer, but rather your judgement as experts in the field if I should worry at all.

2) In the event that I have contracted oral gonorrhea, I understand that it is difficult to spread to others. Is my regular female partner at any risk of being infected if I perform cunninlingus?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

13 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. Thanks for your questions and for your confidence in out service. I'll be glad to comment. As you are aware, a group of Australian colleagues has published and raised concern that oral gonorrhea might be transmitted through French kissing. Many experts, including Dr. Handsfield and I, , while acknowledging that this may occasionally occur, feel that it is quite rare and not sufficiently common to warrant routine testing if French issuing is the only activity participated in In fact I published this perspective, along with a CDC colleague in a widely cited paper published in Lancet Infectious Diseases. Given that your only exposure was briefly kissing this person, I would have no concerns and feel no need to recommend testing. Before addressing your specific questions, I'll also comment that:

A. Most CSs do not have nay STIs- they tend to be far more vigilant about such things than most persons with multiple partners

B. Most single exposures of any sort to infected partners do not result in infection

C. The doxy you took likely also slightly further decreases the already very low risk of infection.

Thus, in response to your specific questions:

As you know, this is a guess and there are no scientific data to refer to. That said risk is certainly no greater than 1 in thousands. Odds are at least 99.9% that you did not acquire gonorrhea

2) In the event that I have contracted oral gonorrhea, I understand that it is difficult to spread to others. Is my regular female partner at any risk of being infected if I perform cunninlingus?

As noted above, and for the reasons cited, again, the risk is very, very low and not something I would worry about

Hope this helps. EWH

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