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.
About 1.6 million cases of chlamydia and 600,000 cases of gonorrhea are diagnosed in the United Sates each year. A new study suggests that these patients may not be following through with STI treatment or getting the right antibiotics.
A clinical trial of a new antibiotic found that it works just as well as a current drug regimen for treating gonorrhea infections. This is important because the bacteria that causes gonorrhea has become resistant to most existing antibiotics.
You have probably heard that HPV can cause cervical cancer. But did you know that it can also cause cancers of the mouth, tongue, and throat?
There’s new research to suggest that the birth control pill can protect female athletes from ACL tears which is one of the most common knee injuries. While this may sound far-fetched, the science behind it is very interesting.
The FDA just approved a new, fully at-home test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. The tests, which is only for women, will be available without a prescription. Users can collect their own sample and have results in less than 30 minutes.
A new study of more than 200,000 women found that women who had ever taken the pill had a 26% lower risk of ovarian cancer.
Does your child feel it’s okay to talk with you about sex and sexual health? If not, have you thought about who will answer your child’s questions? Only you can tell your child that it’s okay to ask you questions. You want to become askable!
Many methods of birth control that are available today rely on hormones like those that our bodies make naturally. Hormonal methods come in many different forms—from pills to patches to shots—but all of them essentially work the same way.
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
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