[Question #1286] STD risk from...

Avatar photo
95 months ago
silly question here perhaps, but just trying to fully understand.

are there any STI/STD risks from having your penis licked for minutes, including the shaft and head, even at the penis opening, from a person (female) with unknown STD/STI status?

assume there are minutes of licking, say 2-5?

thank you
Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
95 months ago

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll try to help.  As you might imagine, there are no specific studies to address the question of having one's penis licked, without a partner taking it into their mouth, places a person at risk for STI or not.  The answer is, probably not.  In general, oral sex is a lower risk activity than genital or ano-genital sexual contact.  Further, when infections such as gonorrhea occur in the mouth, they occur, in the posterior portion, infecting the cells of the throat, rather than the tongue itself.  For this reason, I would expect that having one's penis licked, without being taking onto a partner's mouth would be a low risk event.  There would certainly be no risk whatsoever for HIV and very low risk for other sorts of infections. 

Following an exposure of this sort, without penetration of any of your partner's various orifices, I would not be worried about STIs and, in my opinion but admittedly in the absence of data, I do not see a need for STI testing of any sort unless you developed clear STI symptoms (which I would not expect).

I hope this comment is helpful to you.  EWH

---
Avatar photo
95 months ago
thank you. 

so after an exposure such as this regular unprotected sex with my wife could continue uninterrupted meaning no medical need to wait a week to see if symptoms of STIs develop?
Avatar photo
Edward W. Hook M.D.
95 months ago
That is my opinion, yes.  EWH---