Sexually transmitted conditions are so common in modern society due to the highly liberated practices of many individuals coupled with the lack of awareness regarding these conditions, despite the availability of several measures to access information regarding these diseases.
While it is somehow understandable that many people do not necessarily know what certain STDs are, much less recognize them and understand their symptomatology, there are several information hubs available online that provide precisely this knowledge, albeit the next issue of proper comprehension likewise comes to mind when assessing whether these individuals are capable of understanding the topic in the first place once they can access these files. Indeed, there are several hoops that one must go through just to educate the public regarding this condition, and, coupled with the pandemic-level disregard for such conditions, particularly when they are not causing any problems to the health of infected individuals, the measures employed by several health institutions are almost reduced to nothing in the hands of such a hard-to-reach community – a.k.a. nearly everyone who is sexually active within the community.
What becomes more frustrating in this aspect is that in instances where people are remotely aware of the dangers of sexual contact with an individual whose health status is unknown, the information that they know and are aware of is often inaccurate and may sometimes actually be detrimental to ensuring that infected individuals would remain isolated and their condition cured. In these cases, most of the information they have come from tainted websites that often provide inaccurate information and suggestions regarding specific “holistic” measures through which they can cure their condition, i.e., through herbal medicine, meditation, etc. In some other cases, the other end of the spectrum becomes more prominent – filled with people bent on self-medicating and taking any medication they see off the internet, believing that they are fully qualified to medicate themselves and cure their condition at home. This lack of awareness, coupled with an utter disregard for a professional’s opinion, is a close second to the most common causes of complications – some of which are unrelated to disease, i.e., antimicrobial resistance.
With these problems in mind, one can see just how important it is to highlight all the information needed to guide the public towards a much better path and relationship with their body – nudging them towards a more appropriate healthcare-seeking behavior that values the opinion of professionals who have tirelessly worked on these conditions to understand what they are and how to address them throughout the duration of the disease adequately.
One particular variation of these diseases that might need to be highlighted is the role that oral sex plays in the transmission of many sexually transmitted infections. It is a common misconception among the public that oral sex may just be one of the safer ways to indulge in this pleasurable activity as it does not necessarily involve penetration. However, what makes oral sex an even more critical activity stems precisely from this rationale that many people have on why oral sex is apparently “safer.” Due to this false sense of security, most individuals will not bother with several protective measures to ensure that no transmission will occur. They believe they are safe from these common STDs just by avoiding penetration when with someone whose health status is rather vague. This is, in fact, extremely far from the truth, and clarifying the details regarding STD transmission through oral sex may be the groundbreaking discovery that many laypeople need to become a little bit more aware of regarding the dangers of STD transmission and how it can occur, even in something that they have once believed to be harmless.
Oral sex has many colloquial and conventional terms among laypersons: head, blow, oral – you name it, every sexually active person out there might just be familiar with the terminology. Of course, this has been brought on by the massive liberation of many younger individuals within the public – one which was subsequently brought upon by several calls for acceptance and de-stigmatization of sex. This movement was quite beneficial for a while as the treatment of many sexually transmitted conditions followed suit, resulting in massive breakthroughs in preventing many STD complications and other irreversible damages that were previously leading causes of mortality in many communities. As the saying goes, there’s no advancement without any consequence, and perhaps this was the result that came together with this acceptance that many people called for in the past.
Going back to the original point, oral sex is known by many through various terms. However, oral sex is technically only defined or perhaps described by three different activities.
When a person orally gratifies an individual through oral contact with the vagina, this is called cunnilingus. When oral contact is then performed by touching the penis, this is then called fellatio. The two practices are often the only ones recognized by many individuals, perhaps due to how they have always been within the community. Head and blow are often only associated with oral contact with the vagina and penis, but oral sex is not necessarily limited to the two. Another form of oral sex that many people might perform but do not necessarily recognize as oral sex is oral contact with their partner’s anus – also known as anilingus.
All three forms of oral sex involve contact with a private part of the body that is often affected by common sexually transmitted conditions. As such, this typically results in STD transmission if the person “receiving” the act has an active infection and the person “giving” the act is at risk of transmission. The various risk factors involved in STD transmission through oral sex are discussed below.
Oral sex is generally seen as a low-risk activity for STD transmission due to the fact that no penetration is typically involved in the process. In addition, due to the lack of penetrative activity, the risk for bruises or microtears induced by this contact is exceptionally minimal unless excessive force is performed – putting the person “giving” the activity at low risk of contracting the condition from someone with an active infection. This low risk is maintained relatively consistently throughout the activity, but there are certain exceptions to this nature, as specific acts may significantly increase someone’s risk of contracting an STD or introduce a new risk factor entirely that would often be a guaranteed cause of transmission when someone has an active infection. In the case of direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, transmission is almost always guaranteed. However, in the case of simple fellatio and cunnilingus, transmission risk is relatively low as most activity is performed externally and through contact with the outer surface of the genitalia only.
Please do note, however, that while the risk of transmission through oral sex is considered low enough to be an insignificant cause for transmission virtually, low risk cannot be equated to no risk, and understanding how transmission can occur even in an activity that is popularly known to be “low risk” is essential to ensure that you have all bases covered, and you will not be met a silent infection that could sneakily progress within your system until it almost already too late to address the manifestations and reverse the damage that it has caused to your system. After all, prevention is always the preferred way to keep one safe from these problems that could significantly worsen at any point in time.
As previously discussed, oral sex is typically considered a low-risk activity as it only commonly involves contact with the external parts of the genitalia, and contact with the other person’s bodily fluids is not always guaranteed during this activity. With the lack of penetration that may cause openings within the body of a person coming into contact with an infected individual, along with the lack of a guarantee that contact with bodily fluids will occur, it is understandable why many people would believe that oral sex does not necessarily cause STD transmission during its conduct. However, what many people do not realize is that while the activity itself is considered a low-risk activity, the subsequent actions that one might perform during the activity may significantly increase the risk of transmission or even introduce new high-risk risk factors along the way that could practically guarantee transmission – especially when one individual between the two partners is currently dealing with an active infection. This risk assessment may likewise be muddled when an individual has apparent symptoms, mainly involving those that manifest as breaks in the skin, i.e., boils, blisters, and wounds – all of which could release viral or bacterial material into the mouth that could then result in transmission once another individual comes into contact or ingests the fluids that can be obtained from these skin openings. The opposite, one where the one “giving” the act is infected, is likewise a significant concern when the one “receiving” the act currently has openings in their skin as this serves as an easy access point for the causative pathogen to penetrate the healthy person’s body and systemic circulation. In essence, what makes oral sex a significant concern for STD transmission is how it can still cause transmission, even with the lack of the apparent telltale signs of concern for penetrative sex – one that ultimately makes this event notorious for those that are unaware of what they should watch out for.
Generally, when performing oral sex, there are several risk factors that you should be watchful of to ensure that transmission risk is minimized or, preferably, transmission is avoided altogether. For instance, the risk for transmission is significantly higher if the following events or observations are present in one or both of the individuals participating in this activity:
However, note that while these activities are considered high-risk for transmission, this does not necessarily ensure transmission, nor are these the only activities that might increase the risk of transmission during contact.
Due to the nature of certain STDs to induce transmission once contact with bodily fluids or open infected wounds occur, even if it is through oral contact, there are certain STDs that you can get both through penetrative and oral sex – both of which typically manifest similarly, albeit in different areas of the body, mainly in the areas that came into contact with the infected part of the disease’s carrier.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
Chlamydia transmission may typically occur if an infected penis, vagina, or rectum comes into contact with another individual’s throat – resulting in oral manifestations within the person “giving” the act. On the one hand, someone with an oral case of chlamydia that “gives” the act may likewise transmit the infection to someone “receiving” the act, precisely in the area that came into contact with the infected person’s oral cavity.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the areas that are initially affected by the infection are the following:
Preliminary Presentations
Chlamydia is widely asymptomatic in its early stages and may not have any apparent symptoms until it progresses into its later stages. However, sore throat, discharge, and pain in the affected area are some commonly observed presentations within the greater minority of the affected population.
Common Management Strategies
Antibiotic medications, with a proper prescription, are often used to treat chlamydia infections completely.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
Gonorrhea transmission may typically occur if an infected penis, vagina, or rectum comes into contact with another individual’s throat – resulting in oral manifestations within the person “giving” the act. On the one hand, someone with an oral case of chlamydia that “gives” the act may likewise transmit the infection to someone “receiving” the act, precisely in the area that came into contact with the infected person’s oral cavity.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the areas that are initially affected by the infection are the following:
Preliminary Presentations
Gonorrhea is typically an asymptomatic condition in its early stages and may not have any presentations during its early stages. However, discharge from the vagina or penis is generally known as the most common presentation of this condition during its symptomatic instances.
Common Management Strategies
Similarly, gonorrhea infections are often treated with the help of the right antibiotics, as prescribed by a physician.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
Syphilis transmission may occur if someone “giving” the act comes into contact with sores and rash that are caused by an active syphilis infection within the genitalia or rectal region of an individual. Similarly, “receiving” the act from someone with an active sore or rash in their lips or mouth may transmit the condition to the healthy individual.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the areas that are initially affected by the infection are the following:
Preliminary Presentations
Syphilis infections are mostly asymptomatic, but in most symptomatic cases, the presence of sores, blisters, or rashes are considered the commonly observed presentations.
Common Management Strategies
Syphilis infections may be treated with the help of adequately prescribed antibiotics.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
Herpes transmission may occur if someone “giving” the act comes into contact with sores and rash that are caused by an active herpes infection within the genitalia or rectal region of an individual. Similarly, “receiving” the act from someone with an active sore or rash in their lips or mouth may transmit the condition to the healthy individual. However, please note that herpes sores are often characterized by itchiness and pain, contrary to how syphilis sores typically behave.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the areas that are initially affected by the infection are the following:
Preliminary Presentations
Despite being primarily asymptomatic, its symptomatic presentations during the early stages of the disease may be composed of painful and itchy sores within the genitalia or rectal regions.
Common Management Strategies
Currently, herpes cannot be wholly cured and removed from the system of an affected individual. However, daily antiviral medication may be prescribed to minimize a patient's viral load and ensure that transmission or progression is avoided despite the presence of the causative pathogen in the individual’s system.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
HPV transmission may typically occur if an infected penis, vagina, or rectum comes into contact with another individual’s throat – resulting in oral manifestations within the person “giving” the act. On the one hand, someone with an oral case of HPV that “gives” the act may likewise transmit the infection to someone “receiving” the act, precisely in the area that came into contact with the infected person’s oral cavity.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the areas that are initially affected by the infection are the following:
Preliminary Presentations
Symptomatic HPV cases often present with “warts” in the genitalia or the throat. Oral warts are often accompanied by voice changes, difficulty speaking, and shortness of breath due to the blockage that these manifestations induce.
Common Management Strategies
Surgical measures or treatment through cryotherapy is often recommended to remove warts that have grown within the affected region. However, vaccination to prevent further HPV cases is likewise recommended for all boys and girls aged 11-12.
Activities that Might Trigger Transmission
HIV transmission may typically occur if an infected penis, vagina, or rectum comes into contact with another individual’s throat – resulting in oral manifestations within the person “giving” the act. On the one hand, someone with an oral case of HIV that “gives” the act may likewise transmit the infection to someone “receiving” the act, precisely in the area that came into contact with the infected person’s oral cavity. Contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids, such as their blood or semen, particularly those with cases of systemic penetration, i.e., needlestick accidents, may likewise induce transmission.
Areas Initially Affected by the Infection
Following transmission, the infection typically affects the immune system and the body throughout its duration.
Preliminary Presentations
HIV may not present with any symptoms for many years. However, its earliest presentation may be characterized as a fever-like manifestation.
Common Management Strategies
Currently, there are no permanent treatment options for HIV, but continuous antiretroviral treatment is often recommended to prevent its progression and to keep the viral load of the virus at an undetectable or manageable level.
To ensure that the risk of STD transmission is minimized and controlled despite partaking in the act of oral sex, the following preventive and safety measures may be employed and noted:
Polyurethane condoms are likewise available in the market for people who are allergic to latex condoms to use.
No. While they effectively prevent pregnancies, the material does not provide enough protection to block something as small as these pathogenic microorganisms.
Internal condoms are contraceptive materials placed inside the vagina to avoid any contact that might occur, even within the interior areas of the female genitalia.
Generally, routine procedures are sometimes not recommended due to how invasive some procedures are. However, having an annual or periodic physical exam to be sure may likewise be ordered on a case-to-case basis.
Yes. Although pubic lice cannot live on the scalp, they can live on other body hair, such as the eyebrows and beard.
Written by Mark Riegel, MD
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