Hey Dr Sue — Can People Pass STDs Through Oral Sex?

Yes, they can!

When you think STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) which ones do you think of? Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia? All three of those can be passed through oral sex.

Same is true for viral STDs like herpes and HPV.

While we talk about oral sex being a possible way to spread HIV, there aren’t a lot of documented cases of this. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still take precautions to prevent the spread of HIV or other STDs.

STDs can be passed through not just vaginal and oral sex, but also through anal sex. Some STDs can also be spread through oral-anal contact.

So how do you protect yourself? By practicing safe sex.

But isn’t safe sex just about preventing pregnancy? No!

When we talk about safe sex in this country (or I should say if we talk about safe sex in this country), it’s often limited because the focus is often on penile-vaginal intercourse. This isn’t helpful if you’re engaging in a behavior where pregnancy isn’t possible.

You don’t have to worry about pregnancy from oral sex, anal sex, oral-anal contact or sex toy play, but you do need to worry about the possibility of passing STDs.