Can oral sex give you chlamydia?
Yes, it’s possible to pass on chlamydia through oral sex – many STIs are most commonly spread via oral sex. Oral sex is the stimulation of the genitals using the mouth, lips and/or tongue – in other words, when a person puts their lips/mouth/tongue to another person’s penis/vulva/anus.
Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in the UK – although people who have it don’t always display recognisable symptoms. If can be treated fairly easily with antibiotics if it is caught early, but if left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious long-term health problems.
How can oral sex spread chlamydia? – in terms of giving and receiving oral sex with your partner, it is both possible to:
- Get chlamydia (of the vagina, penis and/or anus) when receiving oral sex by a partner who has chlamydia (of the throat)
- Pass on chlamydia (of the vagina, penis and/or anus) when giving oral sex if you currently have chlamydia (of the throat)
What kind of oral sex is most likely to spread chlamydia? – the most common way to pass chlamydia during oral sex is in oral sex on the penis without using a condom. However, it is also entirely possible to give or get chlamydia via oral sex on the vagina or anus.
Reducing the risk of chlamydia from oral sex – the only way to reduce your risk of getting or giving an STI like chlamydia during oral sex is by using a condom, a dental dam, or another barrier method during the act. Theoretically, the chances of passing on infection when using a condom are close to none, but this is of course not accounting for the a broken condom, slipping off, or being used incorrectly.