Real risk from performing/receiving oral sex

[peterjapan]

Dear Doctor,

I've read your responses to many questions, and have scoured the Internet, and I'd like to make sure I clearly understand the risks related to performing and receiving oral sex.  It seems like this information is scattered across many threads, and I'd like to get one clear answer to clear up my understanding.

Can you please tell me (as I am a man):
1)  The STD risks of receiving unprotected oral sex by a woman?
2)  The STD risks of receiving protected oral sex by a woman (I use a condom)?
3)  The STD risks of performing  unprotected oral sex on a woman?
4)  The STD risks of performing protected oral sex on a woman (using a dental dam)?

Thank you very much in advance for your response to these questions!

[auntiejessi]

The risks overall are low, and I can't really quantify it any other way.

Oral gonorrhea and syphilis are not common, so that makes the chances of you getting them from giving or receiving oral sex low.

The only infection that seems to be common with men receiving oral sex is urethritis.  Normal mouth bacteria entering the urethra can cause infection, but you would almost always have symptoms with that.

There is a possibility of getting genital herpes type 1 from receiving oral sex, but if you have hsv1 already (and a good number do), then you don't need to worry about that in the absence of symptoms.  I still wouldn't let anyone perform oral on me if they have a cold sore, but outside of that, transmission is less likely.

AJ

[auntiejessi]

Oh and this isn't the doctors forum.  If you'd like a doctor to answer, you need to click on the STDs link under Related Expert forums to the right of the page, and post there.  Its $15 to post a question to the doctors.

Aj