Oral Sex - How Safe is Safe?  
 

Oh no not another article on safe sex! Haven't we heard it all before? 

Well apparently not when it comes to what you put in your mouth! 

Hands up everyone who thinks having someone's dick down your throat is pretty safe and not likely to lead to any kind of trouble, assuming of course that you follow the obvious rules of a) removing any dentures beforehand and b) not eating hot chilli for dinner first. 

Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but there's actually a lot you need to learn about just how unsafe this can be. A lot of sex workers will insist their client put on a condom before they go down on them, and with good reason. The list of bugs you can actually catch this way is quite long - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, warts, syphilis to name a few.  Some of these infections will simply lie dormant in your throat, and get passed on to the next guy you blow.  Others, like syphilis, can make you really sick.

There is still no evidence that HIV can be transmitted this way, but if you have bleeding gums or mouth ulcers you could be at risk. 

If you can't stand the thought of letting latex get between you and your snack then make sure you have regular checkups at your friendly sexual health GP, and always insist on having throat swabs and syphilis blood tests done. 

Oh, and by the way, remember the most important rule of oral sex - never, repeat never, attempt it whilst driving...........neck braces are so unattractive, and penis reattachment surgery just hasn't been perfected yet! 

Doc Q is an experienced LGBT doctor. She works at The Central Brunswick Medical Centre.