Aa
Just to be sure
Hey Docs - thanks so much for this forum! Took the time to find many answers to my questions. About me: yesterday, I had protected vaginal sex, received/gave unprotected oral sex with a girl who has many partners.
From your terrific site, I learned a) STD risk is very low via oral sex, b) given my activities, there is still a tiny risk for NGU and gonorrhea (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like syphilis is extremely rare, and the risk for both chlamydia and herpes are negligible, especially since she did not have any sores near her mouth or vagina).
I'll probably have sex at week's end with another partner, but don't want to risk transmitting anything. Would it be unreasonable to visit a clinic today and ask for azithromycin to knock out the probability, no matter how small, that I have either genital/oral NGU, gonorrhea or even syphilis? Thanks in advance!
From your terrific site, I learned a) STD risk is very low via oral sex, b) given my activities, there is still a tiny risk for NGU and gonorrhea (correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like syphilis is extremely rare, and the risk for both chlamydia and herpes are negligible, especially since she did not have any sores near her mouth or vagina).
I'll probably have sex at week's end with another partner, but don't want to risk transmitting anything. Would it be unreasonable to visit a clinic today and ask for azithromycin to knock out the probability, no matter how small, that I have either genital/oral NGU, gonorrhea or even syphilis? Thanks in advance!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to our Forum. thanks for the complement and thanks even more for reviewing some of our prior posts- your assessment of your risk is right on target and you have used the site to learn about your STD risks in just the manner that we hope for.
I trip to the clinic is reasonable. I should warn you however that in many clinics, policies are against giving medications out for "just in case" circumstances- the thinking behind this is that the exposure to drugs contributes to development of antibiotic resistance and, on an individual level, any drug can lead to side effects. I'm not sure if this is a case of selective memory or not but in my experience, it seems like the people who have the weakest reasons for taking medications wind up being the most likely to experience side effects. Even if the health care providers who see you in the clinic are not able to give you antibiotics however, the evaluation and testing should help and provide useful information.
I hope this comment is helpful. EWH
I trip to the clinic is reasonable. I should warn you however that in many clinics, policies are against giving medications out for "just in case" circumstances- the thinking behind this is that the exposure to drugs contributes to development of antibiotic resistance and, on an individual level, any drug can lead to side effects. I'm not sure if this is a case of selective memory or not but in my experience, it seems like the people who have the weakest reasons for taking medications wind up being the most likely to experience side effects. Even if the health care providers who see you in the clinic are not able to give you antibiotics however, the evaluation and testing should help and provide useful information.
I hope this comment is helpful. EWH
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Glad to help. Yoru urologist has given you good advice---take care. EWH
I think I have the start of a nasal infection, but between the Azithromycin and Rocephin, I'm feeling much better. Go figure.
Extremely helpful/reassuring answer. Thank you so much, Dr. Hook.
I took your advice and saw a local urologist. He confirmed everything you said - the risks were small, but there was some for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. I didn't really have to worry about anything else.
To be safe, he gave me a shot of Rocephin and gave me 4 pills of Azithromycin, 250 mg each, all at once. He said within 24 hours, any Gonorrhea would be gone, and within 48 hours, any Chlamydia would be gone, as well. (I also read that Azithromycin is effective against NGU and syphilis, so I consider that a bonus.) And yes, he advised me to cover everything up next time - trust me, I heard him loud and clear ;)
Thanks again for such a swift response and a truly terrific website. If you have anything different to add to my treatment or notice anything wonky, I'd appreciate a comment, otherwise, have a terrific Christmas and New Years!
I took your advice and saw a local urologist. He confirmed everything you said - the risks were small, but there was some for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. I didn't really have to worry about anything else.
To be safe, he gave me a shot of Rocephin and gave me 4 pills of Azithromycin, 250 mg each, all at once. He said within 24 hours, any Gonorrhea would be gone, and within 48 hours, any Chlamydia would be gone, as well. (I also read that Azithromycin is effective against NGU and syphilis, so I consider that a bonus.) And yes, he advised me to cover everything up next time - trust me, I heard him loud and clear ;)
Thanks again for such a swift response and a truly terrific website. If you have anything different to add to my treatment or notice anything wonky, I'd appreciate a comment, otherwise, have a terrific Christmas and New Years!
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.
