Around 5–6 years ago, I had two encounters where I received unprotected oral sex from different partners outside my relationship. Since then, my partner and I have been fully monogamous. My first STI test (chlamydia and gonorrhea) was done 2–4 months after, and I’ve had three more tests since — four total over 5 years, all negative. I’ve had no symptoms. My partner conceived naturally and gave birth to a healthy, full-term baby two years ago. My concern is not other STDs, but that I may have caught chlamydia or gonorrhea, passed it to my partner before testing, and then cleared it myself(common for men)  leaving her unknowingly infected and potentially causing a “ping-pong” cycle over the years. I understand: chlamydia is rarely passed from receiving oral sex; oral gonorrhea is uncommon and often clears or causes symptoms; long-term infections are unlikely to go unnoticed with no symptoms, testing, or fertility issues; and a healthy pregnancy is strong indirect evidence. Still, I feel stuck mentally. What I hope for is your judgment on whether, EVEN IF I had been infected then, I can now safely let go of the concern. Is “ping-pong” possible over 1 year? 4 years? 10 years? (Male 39, Female 32).

Thank you very much for your thoughtful reply and reassurance. I understand the risk is low, but a few points still keep the worry looping for me. I live in Denmark, where pregnant women are not routinely screened for chlamydia or gonorrhea — only syphilis and HIV — so that part of your answer doesn’t fully reassure me. More importantly, could you please confirm:

If I had been infected 5–6 years ago, is it medically realistic that chlamydia or gonorrhea could persist silently between two monogamous partners in a ping-pong fashion for 4–5 years — with no symptoms, no complications, and a healthy pregnancy 2 years ago? Negative tests on my side don’t fully resolve it for me, as I understand these infections often clear quickly in men. If the idea of long-term ping-pong infection is medically implausible over 3-6 years, I believe I could let go of the concern.