Despite some outdated misconceptions, sex doesn’t need to include penetration. And if you are having any kind of sex, then you should be thinking about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), because yes, you can get an STI from oral sex. (Quick note: Many people use STIs and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) interchangeably, but the two are different. Diseases are advanced infections that exhibit symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.)
STIs are extremely common, with roughly 1 in 5 people in the U.S. having a sexually transmitted infection at some point during the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And having oral sex, which involves using the mouth to stimulate the genitals, doesn’t somehow reduce your risk of contracting an STI, Peter Leone, MD, a professor of medicine for the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, tells SELF. “It’s a really common mode of transmission,” he says.
That may sound unsettling, but remember that there are ways to reduce your STI risk that don’t involve giving up fellatio, cunnilingus, or anilingus. Here, experts explain how you can keep on keeping on.
Why can you get an STI from oral sex?
In short, for the same reason that you get an infection from penetrative sex. STI-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites can gain entry into your body through mucosal membranes1, which produce mucus and line numerous body cavities, such as the mouth, lips, anus, vagina, and eyes.
“I think people may forget or potentially ignore the fact that you’re still making contact with someone’s genitals during oral sex. There’s potential for exposure that way,” Anna Powell, MD, MS, an assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, tells SELF.
Just to be really clear, you can get an STI if you’re giving or receiving oral sex as long as your partner is infected. It’s hard to compare the STI risk of penetrative sex to oral sex since many people engage in both, according to the CDC. (And a person’s STD risk really depends on a variety of factors including the number of sex acts performed and how many partners they have.)
Numerous STIs can be transmitted through oral sex, so symptoms, when present, vary depending on the specific infection. Specifically, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), trichomoniasis, hepatitis, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be spread through oral sex. Here’s what to know about each.
Chlamydia
This bacterial infection can be really stealthy because it’s often asymptomatic. When symptoms do appear, you’ll generally notice signs within two weeks from the time of the infection2. If chlamydia affects your genitals, you might experience white, green, or yellow vaginal discharge (it might smell bad too), random bleeding between periods, itching or burning in or around your vagina, and burning when you pee, among other signs. Or, you may have a sore throat if the infection affects your throat, according to the CDC.
If left untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which happens when an infection spreads to your reproductive organs, potentially leading to infertility.
If your partner has oral chlamydia, they can spread it to your genitals or anus through oral sex. You can also get it in your own throat from performing oral on your partner’s penis, vagina, or anus, according to the CDC.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea, another bacterial infection, is similar to chlamydia in a few ways, including its ability to fly under the radar without causing many (or any) symptoms. (Chlamydia and gonorrhea often occur together, so if you think you have one, your doctor may test you for both just in case, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).)
This means, you take one article, and you use the article distribution system. It will generate thousands of unique versions of your article, and publish those unique articles to hundreds of websites that are related to your niche.
Take a look at our comprehensive guide to the best and most popular information ebooks and products available today on Detoxing, Colon Cleansing, Weight Loss and Dating and Romance. They are all in one spot, easy to find and compere to make a quick selection for the product that best fits your needs or wants.
So browse through a category and make your preferred selection and come back here to read more choice articles and get a few more helpful tips on ways to help your enhancement.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. “saubiosaubiosuccess.com is a participant in third party affiliate and advertising programs; The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Awin network, and other affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees and commissions by advertising and linking to products on other sites and on Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.”
We use anonymous cookies and various 3rd-party services to optimise and to offer you a better, more personalised, browsing experience with advanced accessibility enhancements.
Dismiss
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
.png "26 Sexy Shows on Netflix to Get Your Heart Racing in 2024")
