Fewer Women Are Getting Prenatal Care (and Missing an Important Chance to Prevent Congenital Syphilis)
A new report shows that fewer women are getting prenatal care. That means too many patients are missing the chance to prevent congenital syphilis.
Can I Get an STI from Kissing?
Yes. You can get STIs from kissing. But most experts would tell you that kissing—even passionate kissing with tongue—is a pretty safe sexual behavior.
When we talk about STIs and kissing, the real risk is oral herpes. Herpes is a very common infection that causes sores on or near the mouth, face, vulva, vagina, penis, scrotum, or anus. It’s estimated that 50% of adults in the US have herpes.
Herpes is caused by two types of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV-1 causes almost all oral herpes cases, and HSV-2 cause most genital herpes cases. That said, either type of the virus can cause sores in any of these places.
The sores come and go, often appearing when people are sick or stressed. This may be why people refer to them as cold sores. These sores are very contagious. In fact, experts think most people who have oral herpes contracted it when they were children from a quick kiss on the lips by a relative or friend.
A person is only contagious when they have a sore, are recovering from a sore, or are about to get a sore. It’s best not to kiss anyone if either of you has or recently had a visible herpes sore. You can’t see when someone is about to get a sore, but people who have oral herpes often say they get a feeling on their lips when one is coming. Take a break from kissing if either of you think you might be getting a sore.
As for other STIs, kissing isn’t much of a risk. Chlamydia and gonorrhea, which are both caused by bacteria, can infect the throat, but that’s the result of oral sex not a game of tonsil hockey.
HIV is present in saliva but in such low doses that it doesn’t cause transmission. C. Everett Koop, who was the Surgeon General at the very beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, once famously said you’d have to drink a bucket of saliva to have any risk for HIV. (Gross!) The only time kissing might be an HIV risk is if there’s an exchange of blood involved like if one or both of the partners had gums that were bleeding heavily or open sores in their mouth.
This is similar with syphilis. It’s caused by a bacteria and not found in saliva, but it can cause sores in your mouth that could spread the infection to another person.
Bottom line: Skip the kissing if you have any kind of sores in or around your mouth (and see a health care provider). Otherwise, you can smooch away without worry.
More to Explore
Condoms Unfurled—Musings on a Accessible and Valuable Part of Your Safer Sex Toolbox
The condom. All sorts of shapes, sizes, colors (even glow-in-the-dark). Ribbed or plain. Lubed or not. Latex or plastic. ASHA’s Fred Wyand shares his thoughts on this reliable way to prevent STIs and pregnancy.
Syphilis Rates in Pregnant Women Continue to Rise
Syphilis rates among pregnant women went up 222% percent between 2016 and 2022 and another 28% between 2022 and 2024. This alarming increase shows too many pregnant women are not being screened.
Learn About Condoms
Currently, condoms are the only widely available, proven method for preventing pregnancy and reducing transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during sex. Condoms work.
HPV Screening with Self Collection Endorsed by Two Organizations
At the end of 2025, the American Cancer Society released its new cervical cancer screening guidelines. In January 2026, the Health Resources and Services Administration endorsed a new set of guidelines as well. Both suggest HPV screening with self collected samples is an acceptable option.
Is One Shot of the HPV Vaccine Enough?
Research suggests that only one dose of the HPV vaccine may be effective enough to prevent HPV-related disease, including cancer.
Australia is Closer to Ending Cervical Cancer
Australia has been a leader in HPV-prevention and cervical cancer screening for decades. Because of this, it is now close to eliminating cervical cancer entirely. However, recent drops in vaccination and screening rates threaten this progress.
There Are Two New Drugs to Treat Gonorrhea
The FDA approved two new drugs to treat gonorrhea The new drugs—gepotidacin and zoliflodacin—are both new kinds of antibiotics and represent the first completely new treatment options in over thirty years.
