Risk from oral sex

[ertert73]

I've tried to review other postings to understand the best information on this topic. Many of the answers show that there is lower risk from oral sex but there is some risk so I'd like to describe my situation specifically.
Three days ago, I was out of town and went to a strip club. I was drinking heavily and ended up in a private room with a dancer. She ended up giving me unprotected oral and I gave her unprotected oral. The experience didn't last long but it was several minutes. From reading other exchanges, it appears that the unprotected oral I received is lower risk than unprotected intercourse but still has some risk.
What concerns me more is the risk of herpes from my giving her unprotected oral. I'm obsessing over my mouth but already 3 days after this experience my mouth feels like it's hurting on one side. No visible sores or tingling that I can tell. I'm married and this occurrence would have a terrible outcome if I contracted an STD.
This was a high risk exposure as this dancer performed unprotected oral on me and I'm sure this happens regurlary for her. I stacked another bad decision on that event by performing unprotected oral on her.
When should I get tested and are those tSTD tests accurate as they relate to herpes (I or II)?

Thank you.

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum. I'll try to provide you with some information.  The risk for most STDs is low with the risk for getting HSV being very, very low.  As it turns out, oral sex is an inefficient way to transmit STDs.  Of the bacterial STDs only gonorrhea and nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) are acquired through receipt of oral sex; chlamydia is not and without an obvious sore or lesion on your partner’s mouth, the chances of syphilis and herpes is likewise tiny (more on herpes below).   If you had gotten gonorrhea or NGU you would have most likely developed symptoms of urethritis (penile infection) such s a urethral discharge within 3-5 days of your exposure.  Even if your partner had an STD (any STD and it is likely she did not), most exposures do not lead to infection.  In your case, if you wish, you could go to your local STD clinic or health care provider to be tested at this time.  

The risk of getting any STD from your performance of oral sex is lower than your risk of getting urethral infection and the only bacterial infection which is even remotely possible is gonorrhea.

Now for herpes.  The risk of getting HSV from any single exposure, IF your partner has HSV an just because she has lots of partners does not mean that she has HSV (Less than 50% of women who have had more than 50 sex partners has HSV-2), your risk of getting infection from her is less than 1 in 6000 (thus you would have to perform oral sex on her or vis versa once daily for over 15 years to have a 100% chance of infection).  There is no good test for HSV in your situation unless you develop sores or lesions if you develop lesions, they should be evaluate with a PCR or culture test. If no lesions, have not occurred in the next two week, you did not get HSV.

Bottom line, your risk of infection from this situation is low.  Try not to worry.  EWH

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Gettng it checke out is reasonable but this souns like a canker sore, not HSV.  Oral herpes occurs on the lips while canker sores occur in the inside of the mouth, cheeks and lips.  EWH

[ertert73]

Actually, reading your answer again, I should just get this checked out. I don't know if it qualifies as a lesion but I'll find a clinic and have it evaluated. It's painful and something I'd call a canker sore. Not something I'd think about normally but so soon after this incident it seems pretty scary.

[ertert73]

Thank you for the response. I didn't realize the odds were so low so that is good news.

Yesterday, I noticed a canker sore on the inside (the fleshy part) of my upper lip. It hurts and has a white top although when I squeezed it nothing really came out. The white tip went away then appeared again.

Is this HSV or a terrible coincidence?

Thanks.