If you think oral sex is safe, think again! For the faithful and uninfected couple, yes, it is safe (except of course for the occasional gastrointestinal germs that may contaminate the genital area but it is – occasional). If you are not so sure about the faithfulness of your partner to you, then you might want to weigh the risks vs the benefits of oral sex.
Part of that risk is Throat Gonorrhea. Throat Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhea and it infects the throat when there is a direct contact with it’s whitish/yellowish fluid (mixed with genital fluid) from the penis, vagina or anus. The bacterial then establishes itself in the pharynx (throat).
There is, therefore, wisdom in switching on the light and looking at your partner’s penis, vaginal and anal areas before oral sex. If you see any whitish or light yellowish discharge, you might want to engage the reverse gear immediately. Truth be told, sadly, sometimes, you might not see any discharge and still, the person might have gonorrhea!
Epidemiology
With regards to the epidemiology, people who have oral contact with the penis are more likely to get throat gonorrhea than people who have oral contact with the vagina/clitoris.
How to detect Throat Gonorrhea?
Many people with throat gonorrhea have no symptoms. Those with symptoms may complain of a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. The throat may look red with white spots on it.
Your doctor should perform a throat swab to look for Neisseria gonorrhea if you think you are at risk.
Good News vs Bad News!
Many people with throat gonorrhea are able to self-cure although this may take anything between one week to twelve weeks depending on the immunity of the person infected.
Not everybody is able to self-cure. If you do not self-cure, then, the gonorrhea in the throat may spread throughout the whole body leading to what is called disseminated gonorrhea.
Prevention and Treatment of Oral Gonorrhea
The use of antiseptic mouthwash to gargle and rinse mouth immediately after oral sex is being discussed as a possible way forward although the results are not yet conclusive, it may have its merit.
Wearing of condoms (male and female) could be protective, however, condoms might break or leak during oral sex but it should be considered if you are having oral sex.
Gonorrhea infection means you ‘also’ have Chlamydia infection.
Gonorrhea rarely walks alone, most people with gonorrhea infection, also have chlamydial infection, therefore, both gonorrhea and chlamydia are treated simultaneously all the time.
A single dose of Azithromycin 1g orally plus an intramuscular shot of ceftriaxone, 250mg does the trick for conventional gonorrhea.
However, resistant strains to these antibiotics are emerging hence do not self-treat, work with your doctor to monitor your progress.
Your partner(s) should also be treated. This (contact tracing) is very important and is a primary function of the public health unit to stop the spread of this disease in your community. Please cooperate with them.
To practice safe sex isn’t just about preventing unwanted pregnancy, it also about preventing sexually transmitted diseases not just from conventional sex but also oral sex.
