If you’re wondering if you can get gonorrhea from oral sex, join the club. Although oral sex is one of the safer sexual activities, it can still put you at risk. Below, we’ll go over the facts.
What Is Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can live in the moist, warm tissues of the urethra, cervix, anus, rectum, mouth, throat, and eyes. Left untreated, it can cause infertility, joint pain, rashes, and skin sores. Having gonorrhea can also increase your risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
Can You Get Gonorrhea From Oral Sex?
Since gonorrhea can infect the mouth and throat, it’s possible to get it through many kinds of sexual contact, including unprotected oral sex. It’s no surprise that gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STI.
How Transmission Happens
Gonorrhea can grow in a person’s throat, and giving or receiving oral sex can spread the disease. You’re more likely to get gonorrhea if there’s a direct transfer of infected seminal fluid from throat to genitals or vice versa; contracting gonorrhea from shallow kissing on the genitals is much less common.
Can You Get Gonorrhea From Kissing or Saliva?
Can you get gonorrhea from kissing? It’s possible, but the risk is low. Studies show that gonorrhea is detectable in the saliva of infected people, meaning that it might be transmissible during tongue kissing (French kissing). More studies are needed to accurately assess the risk. Generally speaking, if you ask, “Can you get gonorrhea kissing?” public health authorities will say it’s unlikely. Medical professionals don’t classify gonorrhea as a kissing disease; they consider it to be an STI.
Saliva Alone Is Not a Risk
So, can you catch gonorrhea from saliva? The answer is maybe; saliva will only transmit gonorrhea if the bacteria are present in the fluid. Gonorrhea can be transmitted to saliva through oral-to-genital contact, and saliva can be a transmission vector during anal sex.
Symptoms of Oral Gonorrhea
Oral gonorrhea doesn’t always cause symptoms, so it can go undetected fairly easily. However, people who have oral gonorrhea may experience:
- Swollen, inflamed lymph nodes in the neck
- Redness in the throat
- Fever
- Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
- Conjunctivitis or eyes that are itchy, red, infected with pus, and/or sensitive to light
The symptoms of oral gonorrhea can seem similar to signs of strep throat and flu, so testing is key to a proper diagnosis. If oral gonorrhea spreads to other areas of the body, it can cause symptoms like:
- Genital discharge
- Swollen lymph nodes in the groin
- Swollen testicles
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Pain during sex
What to Watch For
If you’re sexually active and you experience a sore throat, fever, genital discharge, or other symptoms, you should see a healthcare professional for a swab test for gonorrhea.
How to Prevent Gonorrhea From Oral Sex
Reducing your risk of getting gonorrhea from oral sex doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some tips for staying safe:
- Use a condom or dental dam during any type of sexual contact.
- Limit your number of sex partners, or commit to a monogamous relationship.
- Get tested regularly for STIs, and only engage in sexual activity with regularly tested partners.
- Don’t have sex with anyone who has STI symptoms, like rashes or sores around their mouth or genitals.
- If you think you may have been exposed to gonorrhea, ask your doctor about DoxyPEP, which involves taking an antibiotic called doxycycline within three days of sexual activity to prevent infection.
Protection and Testing
Protecting yourself from oral gonorrhea involves practicing safe sex consistently and correctly. Additionally, getting certain kinds of the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine for meningitis could reduce your risk of getting gonorrhea up to 40%. You’ll also want to keep up with STI testing and treat the disease quickly if you have it to prevent it from spreading to your partner(s).
Testing and Treatment
Testing is key to treating gonorrhea. You can visit your healthcare provider or use high-quality at-home tests for routine screening without a prescription. If you have symptoms or at-home test results that could indicate gonorrhea, see a healthcare professional for additional tests to confirm the result, and if necessary, begin treatment to cure the disease.
Quick, Private, and Effective Care
Dealing with oral gonorrhea doesn’t have to be a high-drama affair; you can get fast, confidential testing and treat the disease successfully by visiting a doctor’s office, urgent care center, sexual health clinic, or your local health department. You can also find resources to support your sexual health online.
Contact MISTR to learn more about at-home STI testing, PrEP, and how DoxyPEP can help reduce your risk of certain bacterial infections as part of your PrEP journey.
If you think you’ve been exposed to gonorrhea, you may be able to prevent infection by taking DoxyPEP right away. If you’ve already contracted gonorrhea, treatment usually involves getting one shot of the antibiotic ceftriaxone and taking an oral antibiotic like doxycycline or azithromycin. Your partner or partners will also need treatment.
- Prompt treatment can cure gonorrhea within one or two weeks when you take your medication as prescribed.
- Avoid sex for the first week of treatment to avoid spreading the infection.
- Treating gonorrhea won’t protect you from future infections, so you’ll need to proactively protect yourself by practicing safer sex.
- To be sure your infection is completely gone, you can get a second test for gonorrhea after treatment.
Please note: MISTR currently provides DoxyPEP only as a precursor to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV) and does not offer treatment for confirmed gonorrhea infections.
The Bottom Line
Looking after your health is an important part of caring for yourself and your community. Whether you’re in a relationship or exploring your sexuality, you deserve to get support that will enhance your life. Learning the facts about gonorrhea and simple steps to protect yourself can help you live fearlessly.
Stay Informed and Protected
If you have questions about preventing oral gonorrhea, the friendly experts at MISTR are here to help. You can get the hassle-free support you need anytime with no judgment, so you can live your best life.