Chlamydia

[newyorkman]

I think your forum is outstanding!

Here are some questions for you.  Assume a woman is infected with Chlamydia.  Could I contract it from her from the following activities:

1.  Rubbing the shaft of my penis (but not the tip) against her clitoris.
2.  If I perform cunnilingus on her, kiss her, and then have her perform fellatio on me.
3.  If she masturbates herself, then masturbates me getting her vaginal fluid on my penis.

Thank you for all your help.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Thanks for the thanks about the forum.  We try to help.

The answers are no to all three of your questions. Is the risk zero?  Perhaps not.  But it is too low to measure or to worry about.

If there is reason to believe a woman with whom you have had such exposures has chlamydia, she should be tested for it.  As a sexually active person (i.e., perhaps with other exposures other than the low-risk ones you describe), it would be reasonable for you to be tested from time to time as well.  But those particular activities are not a significant risk.

Regards---  HHH, MD

[newyorkman]

Thank you very much!!

[newyorkman]

Also....I asked the question because there is conflicting information on other websites....stating the risk of contracting chlamydia from oral sex is higher than you indicate.  I asked here because it is apparent you have real life field experience as opposed to making theoretical statements.

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

You can search this forum for several discussions about the differences in advice here versus other websites about chlamydia transmission by oral sex.  But it is worth repeating, so here goes:

Many health educators and even some STD experts have made the assumption for many years that chlamydia is commonly transmitted by oral sex, without data to support it.  Largely this probably stems from parallels with gonorrhea:  pretty much everything about gonorrhea transmission holds for chlamydia, and both infections cause similar symptoms and complications.  However, oral sex transmission is an exception -- relatively common for gonorrhea, rare for chlamydia.  Chlamydia does not survive well in the mouth or throat, so that there is no chlamydia to transmit by performing oral sex.  This information isn't new, but recent research has confirmed it.  (CDC recommends against even testing for chlamydia of the throat.  Testing is expensive and infection is rarely found, so not worth the effort.)  It is to be hoped that other online information sources will start to get the message one of these days.