[Question #11749] STD regarding unprotected oral

12 months ago

Hello, I'm really upset to be back here but have a question regarding unprotected oral sex. I'm going to get a urinalysis for G and C in a few days as well as a throat culture. I did not have any penetrative anal/vaginal sex,, Just oral ( I received a blowjob).

What am I at risk for? Am I excessively worrying over nothing?

Thanks in advance

-Adam

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

Any single oral sex exposure is low risk for all STDs and in general testing isn't advised after any single such exposure. However, this depends on your partner and his or her STD risks. (Male? Female? Likely to have multiple other partners?) Urinalysis doesn't detect STIs; if tested at all, you need a gonorrhea test. (It will automatically include chlamydia, but that's not a risk from oral sex.) Receiving oral sex, your own throat was not at risk -- why the throat culture?

Anyway, you can expect negative test results.

You seem to have gotten into a habit of checking with us about every sexual exposure you have, regardless of risk. It really shouldn't be necessary! But I hope this reply is helpful.

HHH, MD

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12 months ago

Hi Dr.,

Thank you for the quick reply. She was 40 year old female...unaware of her sexual history although she did tell me she was tested for everything last year. HIV is not a concern correct? Throat culture because we were kissing alot...

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

It sounds like there is little chance your partner has any transmissible STD. And there has never been a proved case of HIV transmitted oral to penis. Kissing was not a risk and doesn't require STD testing.---

12 months ago

Thank you...so basically check for gonorrhea and forget the rest? Will 5 days post exposure be enough for a urine gonorrhea test?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

Honestly I probably wouldn't test even for gonorrhea if somehow I were in your situation. Yes 5 days is fine, but absence of symptoms (discharge, painful urination) by that time will nearly 100% evidence you don't have it. But it's up to you.---

12 months ago

Thank you, one final question if I may....how rare is syphilis in this scenario?

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD

12 months ago

Syphilis is extremely rare following such exposures. I don't think I've ever seen such a case in my 50 years in the STD business.

That concludes this thread. As implied by my opening comment about your habit of checking every potential exposure, this should be your last. If you don't have unprotected vaginal or anal sex, you can assume our replies will always tell you there was little or no risk. And even if there is, we generally do not advise testing after every exposure, but instead on a regular schedule e.g. once a year if there have been several exposures over that time. The forum does not permit repeated questions on the same topic. Future questions like these may be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. This policy is intended to reduce temptations to keep paying for questions with obvious answers, and continued answers often prolong users' anxieties rather than reducing them. Such questions have little educational value for other users, one of the forum's main purposes. Thanks for your understanding.

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