Oral sex is the sexual stimulation of the genitals of the partner with the help of mouth, lips or tongue. There are various forms of oral sex such as fellatio, cunnilingus, and anilingus. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, around 85% of the adult population is engaged in oral sex practice at least once. The transmission of STDs don’t require genital sex. Any contact of the genitals with the skin may become the risk factor for the transmission of the STDs. Oral cavity and throat infection may infect the genital of the partner or the infected genital may infect the oral cavity and throat. Some STDs pose high risk of transmission, while others may be less commonly transmitted. The best way to reduce the risk of transmission is to use barriers.
Genital area includes the penis, vagina, area around the vagina and penis, and rectum in case of anal sex. Contact of any one of these areas may pass the STDs to the partner. The STIs can pass even with one time oral sex. However, the risk is higher among those with multiple partners. Transmission of STIs depend on various factors such as the type of the activity performed, the number of times the act was carried out, the type of the infection and the prevalence of STDs in the specific population. 3MEDS-online chemist pharmacy Delhi, India, briefs about the common STIs which can be acquired through oral sex.
Gonorrhoea:
Gonorrhoea is one of the bacterial infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhoea. The infection is acquired when the infected individual engages in oral sex with the other partner. It is more commonly spread or vaginal or anal sex. However, the infection spread through oral sex doesn’t produce symptoms initially. Practices like fellatio has been reported to transmit the STDs. Infected individual may present with sore throat within a week of exposure. Other areas where the infection produce lesions include genitals, throat, urinary tract, and rectum.
Administration of right antibiotics will control the disease and is not life threatening. Many cases of oral gonorrhoeal infections have been reported every year.
Syphilis:
Also known as lues. It is an infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum. It is characterized by episodes of active disease interrupted by the period of latency. The bacteria are transmitted through the sexual contact. There are three stages of syphilis with characteristic lesions in every stage. In primary stage, lesion known as chancre develops at the site of genital contact. In oral cavity, it may appear on lips, tongue, palate, gingiva, and tonsils. In secondary stage of syphilis, skin lesions appear as swollen with rashes. The oral lesions are called mucous patches which are multiple, painless, greyish white plaques. In tertiary stage of syphilis, classic lesion known as gumma appears. In the oral cavity, it usually appears on the tongue and palate with the tendency to ulcerate. Atrophic glossitis is one of the characteristic symptoms in tertiary syphilis.
Antibiotics like penicillin, erythromycin are prescribed to treat the infection.
Chlamydia:
Chlamydial infection is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. It is one of the highest prevalent STIs among all the age groups. According to CDC, 1.5 million cases are reported every year. Chlamydia is transmitted through genital contact. In the oral cavity, the lesions may appear on lips, throat and mouth. In general, it produces lesions on genitals, urinary tract, anus and rectum. Initially, presents no symptoms. Later on, the individual reports with swollen glands, pain on urination etc.
Administration of right antibiotics will treat the infection.
Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2)
HSV-2 is primarily transmitted through genital sex. However, the contact of genital fluid with the oral cavity can transmit the STIs through the mouth. It produces lesions known as genital herpes. In the oral cavity, it results in herpes esophagitis, which shows oral sores in the mouth along with other general symptoms, although, it is rare.
The infection is lifelong, however, the treatment can prevent or reduce the risk of infection.
Human papilloma virus (HPV):
It is the most commonly acquired STIs and is caused by HPV. The infected individual may transmit it to the partner through different intercourse. The affected individual presents warts, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness of voice, etc. HPV is also attributed to cause head and neck cancer. There is no complete cure for the infection. It may resolve on its own. Vaccination may prevent the incidence of acquiring the infection.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV):
HIV infection is involved in destroying the defence mechanism of the body. The individual may get affected via sexual contact. Semen or vaginal discharge or blood carries the virus which when inoculated in healthy individual may cause the onset of infection. The acquiring of this infection through oral sex is extremely rare.
There is no permanent cure for HIV infection. However, with the help of anti-retroviral drugs, the symptoms are reduced and lifespan is prolonged.
In a nutshell,
‘Prevention is better than cure.’ Therefore, to avoid the risk of acquiring the infection, one must follow protection during any kind of sexual activity. Use of genital condom or dental condom, will prevent the risk of transmission. Avoid multiple partners. One can make use of dental dam which is a polyurethane sheet to cover the genital areas. If you are infected and prescribed medicines, buy medicines healthcare products online from 3MEDS, the trusted source. Stay safe and healthy.