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STD from oral sex.
So, I did a very very stupid thing two days ago and received unprotected oral sex from a professional. I've been going through a really rough time lately (divorce, medical issues, etc.)...I know it's no excuse for what I did. It was very short and only lasted a few minutes or so, but I've been freaking out ever since. I'm a huge hypochondriac and a germaphobe, so this completely goes against my nature.
Anyways, what are the chances that I caught something? I'm going to wait a few months or so and go get every test known to man to make sure, but up until then I'll be freaking out. My anxiety is now through the roof and it's taking everything in me to not lose it. Yesterday (the day after the act) I started getting a sore throat and I've been feeling like I have a cold today (sore throat, achy, hot/cold), so I'm convinced that I have herpes or something now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Anyways, what are the chances that I caught something? I'm going to wait a few months or so and go get every test known to man to make sure, but up until then I'll be freaking out. My anxiety is now through the roof and it's taking everything in me to not lose it. Yesterday (the day after the act) I started getting a sore throat and I've been feeling like I have a cold today (sore throat, achy, hot/cold), so I'm convinced that I have herpes or something now.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm pleased I could help. Take care. EWH
Great, thanks for your answer :) I did go and get a battery of tests before I met my ex wife to make sure I was clear, and at that point I didn't even have HSV1, which I know is uncommon. I guess I'd been lucky up until then.
I will be going again in a fee months or so just to make sure. I would never want to infect a partner in the future, so I feel that it's best to be sure. You've definitely put my mind a bit more at ease though. Hopefully I got lucky and my stupid decision didn't end up costing me in the end. I know that I'll never do anything like that again, that's for sure.
I will be going again in a fee months or so just to make sure. I would never want to infect a partner in the future, so I feel that it's best to be sure. You've definitely put my mind a bit more at ease though. Hopefully I got lucky and my stupid decision didn't end up costing me in the end. I know that I'll never do anything like that again, that's for sure.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. I'll be pleased to comment. Your risk of acquiring an STI of any sort, including HIV from a single sexual encounter is low and of the possible forms of exposure, receipt of oral sex is among the lowest risk events. Most commercial sex workers do not have STIs and, as I have already said, most exposures do not lead to infection,
In general oral sex is a biologically inefficient way to transmit STDs. Even among persons with many sex partners, oral infections are uncommon and for a number of biological factors too complex to go into here, the efficiency of transmission of infections through oral sex is lower than for penetrative genital-vaginal or –anal sex. Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) are transmitted through oral sex; for all practical purposes, chlamydia is not and without an obvious sore or lesion on your partner’s mouth, the chances of syphilis and herpes is likewise tiny. There is also currently a large amount of overstatement of the risk of HPV and its very rare consequence, oral cancer, related to HPV infections is excessive and should not be a concern either. If you had gotten gonorrhea or NGU you would have most likely developed symptoms of urethritis (penile infection). If you wish to be entirely sure, you could go to your local STD clinic or health care provider to be tested at this time for gonorrhea and NGU.
As for herpes. if you acquired herpes, you would acquire genital lesions within 14 days of exposure If you do not develop lesions, I would not worry. Blood tests are not recommended in this situation as they often have false positive results and are of little help in the absence of genital signs or symptoms which would be better evaluated using a swab test for culture of PCR from the lesions.
Your sore throat and achiness are not suggestive of HSV which would be manifest as lesions occurring on your lips. EWH
In general oral sex is a biologically inefficient way to transmit STDs. Even among persons with many sex partners, oral infections are uncommon and for a number of biological factors too complex to go into here, the efficiency of transmission of infections through oral sex is lower than for penetrative genital-vaginal or –anal sex. Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) are transmitted through oral sex; for all practical purposes, chlamydia is not and without an obvious sore or lesion on your partner’s mouth, the chances of syphilis and herpes is likewise tiny. There is also currently a large amount of overstatement of the risk of HPV and its very rare consequence, oral cancer, related to HPV infections is excessive and should not be a concern either. If you had gotten gonorrhea or NGU you would have most likely developed symptoms of urethritis (penile infection). If you wish to be entirely sure, you could go to your local STD clinic or health care provider to be tested at this time for gonorrhea and NGU.
As for herpes. if you acquired herpes, you would acquire genital lesions within 14 days of exposure If you do not develop lesions, I would not worry. Blood tests are not recommended in this situation as they often have false positive results and are of little help in the absence of genital signs or symptoms which would be better evaluated using a swab test for culture of PCR from the lesions.
Your sore throat and achiness are not suggestive of HSV which would be manifest as lesions occurring on your lips. EWH
I'm no professional and am currently in the same boat as you in regards to a recent oral sex encounter. I'll tell you what I know, HSV-1 is considered more associated with the mouth and HSV-2 is the prominent genital infection. However each virus can reside in either place.
What does this mean?
HSV-2 can be in the mouth but is NOT common and even if it is, after the initial outbreak it rarely re-occurs or sheds. And HSV-1 can reside in the genital area from receiving oral sex. In your current situation I wouldn't say completely eliminate HSV-2 from the equation but don't give it to much thought. If you are just concerned about Herpes then HSV-1 would be the strain to most likely infect the genital area due to the fact it prefers to reside in the mouth. If the person didn't have an open lesion/outbreak then that's a good sign, it is most contagious in this state. However it is commonly believed that the virus can be "active" in the mouth and show absolutely no symptoms whatsoever, meaning the person is still able to infect you with HSV-1.
Chances are you have HSV-1 already around the mouth, A LOT of the population do, I do. If you do the anti-bodies from your existing infection are believed to offer some protection against infection in the genital area. Weather that means acquisition all together or just stopping it from causing outbreaks I am unsure, sorry.
Your symptoms are not directly related to herpes in the least, and that onset of the symptoms seem way to sudden to me based on what knowledge I have. Try to relax and my advice would be to an get an STD panel done just to rule out any possible infection say from previous encounters and let you know where you currently stand. While you're there get advice from your GP about when would be a good time for accurate testing for your concerns and go from there.
Best of luck mate truly and try and relax there is no point in worrying about something you may/may not have it will do your head in, as it has done mine.
What does this mean?
HSV-2 can be in the mouth but is NOT common and even if it is, after the initial outbreak it rarely re-occurs or sheds. And HSV-1 can reside in the genital area from receiving oral sex. In your current situation I wouldn't say completely eliminate HSV-2 from the equation but don't give it to much thought. If you are just concerned about Herpes then HSV-1 would be the strain to most likely infect the genital area due to the fact it prefers to reside in the mouth. If the person didn't have an open lesion/outbreak then that's a good sign, it is most contagious in this state. However it is commonly believed that the virus can be "active" in the mouth and show absolutely no symptoms whatsoever, meaning the person is still able to infect you with HSV-1.
Chances are you have HSV-1 already around the mouth, A LOT of the population do, I do. If you do the anti-bodies from your existing infection are believed to offer some protection against infection in the genital area. Weather that means acquisition all together or just stopping it from causing outbreaks I am unsure, sorry.
Your symptoms are not directly related to herpes in the least, and that onset of the symptoms seem way to sudden to me based on what knowledge I have. Try to relax and my advice would be to an get an STD panel done just to rule out any possible infection say from previous encounters and let you know where you currently stand. While you're there get advice from your GP about when would be a good time for accurate testing for your concerns and go from there.
Best of luck mate truly and try and relax there is no point in worrying about something you may/may not have it will do your head in, as it has done mine.
Note: She told me she'd just started doing this about a month ago or so and had not been doing it for long. I didn't see any visible sores or anything on her. I doubt that matters, but just figured I'd throw that in there.
You are reading content posted in the STDs Forum
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Millions of people are diagnosed with STDs in the U.S. each year.
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
