Herpes

[dp399]

Hi Dr.
about 5 months ago i gave oral sex to a guy who was not by boyfriend... then i got back with my boyfriend. I keep worrying that i contracted some STD from that guy...I went to planned parenthood and found out that the most likely STD i could have caught are Herpes and Gonorrhea....Now I keep having panic attacks that I have herpes and have given it to my boyfriend. I have absolutely no symptoms of herpes but i have heard that it is possible to have it and not have any symptoms ever..Is this true?? Could I give it to my boyfriend this way??
Help Please

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

The risk to you from receiving oral sex also was too low to require testing.  Herpes testing is not done routinely unless there is a particularly high risk someone is infected, like symptoms that might be herpes or being the regular sex partner of someone who has HSV.  You don't need herpes testing.  Please accept the reassurance and move on.

[dp399]

Dear sir,
I'm sorry but i have another question. I did not mention that the guy i had given oral sex to also gave me oral sex. I didnt mention it before because it was for 2 minutes...I do not have any symptoms of herpes...But i still fear that maybe i got it and have no symptoms  and have passed it to my boyfriend

[dp399]

My provider adviced me that i did not need any STD testing for Chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV etc.. but never mentioned herpes. This is why i was concered about it..

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can relax. The risk for any STD is much lower from oral sex than from vaginal or anal intercourse, for both the genital and oral partner.  It is very unlikely you acquired gonorrhea, herpes, or any other STD. You misunderstood whatever you read about herpes.  The risk from oral sex primarily is genital herpes due to type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV), transmitted from the oral to the genital partner.  There is little or no risk of oral herpes from a partner's genital infection.  It can happen but is rare; and if that had happened, most likely you would have noticed symptoms.  As for gonorrhea, oral/throat infection is possible.  However, oral gonorrhea rarely causes symptoms and generally clears up on its own in a few weeks, without treatment.  So even if you had caught it 5 months ago, most likely it is gone now.  Anyway, if your BF had acquired an STD from you, most likely he would have had symptoma and would have known it by now.

So there really is no signficant risk here.  But if you want even more certainty, stop trying to figure it out by forums like this one. See your primary health care provider, your local public health STD clinic, or a family planning clinic like Planned Parenthood.  Tell your provider the full story then follow his or her advice about STD testing.  You can expect negative test results.

Good luck--  HHH, MD