Oral Sex

What's the big deal?

Taking your pants down for someone is always a big deal, isn’t it?  Oral sex is one of the most intimate things imaginable.  It’s a very big deal! 

Did you know that almost any STD can be transmitted through oral sex… including HIV, genital warts, herpes, chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea?  Check out these pics.

Syphilis

According to a study conducted by the Chicago Department of Public Health, approximately 14% of syphilis cases were attributed to oral sex.1

 

Herpes

Type 1 (oral) herpes can be transmitted from a person’s mouth to a person’s genitals.  Type 2 (genital) herpes can be transmitted from a person’s genitals to a person’s mouth.2

 
Genital Warts

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) spreads by skin-to-skin contact.  Oral sex can transfer the infection from a person’s genitals to a person’s mouth.

 

Related topics:
Read more about STDs

 

 

 

 

Footnotes:

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53, 966-968, October 2004.
  2. U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Medical Encyclopedia: Herpes Labialis," updated 8/15/2006. Retrieved June 2007 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000606.htm.

The information on this website is for general educational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for professional counseling. If your situation is an emergency, please call 911.