[Question #7268] Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

59 months ago

Hello Doctors,
Thank you for responding to my question.

How likely is it, as a 40 year old white male, to get Gonorrhea and Chlamydia from performing oral sex on a 34 year old Dominican woman?

If I was exposed back in January would I probably be having symptoms by now?

In January we had protected sex and I performed oral sex on her. I was tested 4 days after that event. Tests were negative. Are the tests conclusive after that event?

Then, we had sex again after I had my test done also with protection and oral sex performed on her. Oral sex was never performed on me. I also have HSV-2 and am on Valtrex.

Edward W. Hook M.D.

59 months ago

Welcome to the forum. I’ll be glad to comment. The risk for acquisition of STIs from performing cunnilingus on an infected woman is, anecdotally and based on my own years of clinical work in the SI field, very low however there are no high quality studies on this topic. Further, the risk of a 34 YO woman (Dominican or otherwise) is low. Further, oral STIs sometimes clear on their own without therapy. Thus overall, the likelihood that you acquired any STI through the exposure you describe is quite low. Personally, I would not be worried.

Having said that I must also point out that most STIs occurring in the oral cavity are asymptomatic and thus, if you are concerned (I would not be, as I said) I would get testing. It is highly reliable and easily performed. EWH

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59 months ago

Thank you doctor! If I got tested 4 days after with a urine specimen. Would that be reliable?

And if I did have it all this time would I be having symptoms by now?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

59 months ago

Your urine test at four days would be entirely accurate for detection of a penile infection but would not detect An oral infection acquired from performing oral sex on an infected person. To,detect,an oral infection you would need a throat swab.

As I said above, most oral infections are asymptomatic. EWH

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59 months ago

Thanks again.

1) do symptoms show up more so in men than in women? I have not had any symptoms at all. As you know the incident occurred in January.

Just wondering if I would be seeing something by now.

2) can one spread orally to genitals?

Edward W. Hook M.D.

59 months ago

This will be my 3rd response and thus the final reply as part of this thread. The thread will be closed following this response.

Men are more often symptomatic than women but nonetheless there are asymptomatic Gonorrhea and chlamdial,penile infections. As I have already told you, we’re to acquire an oral infection, it would most probably be asymptomatic and only detected by testing.

Yes, persons with oral infections can transmit their infections to other through oral sex.

I hope this information has been helpful. As I said earlier, while I see little reason for concern, but if you really want to be entirely sure you were not infected, you should be tested at sites of exposure.

End of thread. EWH

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