Oral & STDs?

[nameofthegame]

Hi,

All the the literature I can find says it is *possible* to contract STD's via oral sex. Exactly how much of a possibility isn't normally spelled out.

I have never met or heard of anyone who had been infected that way. Has anyone here ever contracted anything through oral?

-T

[DiscreetDesires]

It really depends on what STD it is.
Some have a great chance of being passed on than others, but I have yet to find anyone in our community who have contracted anything by oral sex or actual sex.

You just really have to be careful with who you play with, and take a good look at what they are offering you. Even then, it's really a toss up since most aren't visable to the naked (hehe) eye.

[Lascivious L&L]

HIV is very, very difficult to transmit via oral sex. Some researchers are of the opinion that it is virtually never transmitted. At the worst oral sex is as safe or safer than intercourse with a condom on for HIV.

Herpes is easily transmitted via oral sex. Most swingers have either herpes simplex 1 or 2. Most adults have either herpes simplex 1 or 2, so assume you and everyone else has it. Condoms offer very limited protection against herpes.

I'm not sure about the oral transmission of HPV, but would assume it too is easily transmitted by oral sex. Condoms are not particularly effective against HPV either. Most sexually active adults have at least one variety of HPV.

Most people infected with either herpes or HPV are not aware they are infected since they've never had symptoms. It seems that the majority of infected peoples' immune systems deal with the virus without a lot of trouble. While they might not be "cured", there is a steady state where the virus is present but not active.

[ncmd_couple]

Lascivious L&L,

Do you have any references to back up your statements that "most" swingers have herpes? Or that oral transmission of HPV is easily transmitted orally?

I'm not calling you out on this, but I thinking making such statements without backup are not really fair to the OP. I'm tied up at the moment, but I know that we have had learned medical folks who have posted extensively on the topic of STDs here on the board, but I don't have the time to research it myself...

S

[DigginIt]

I'm not one to throw out numbers or percentages so I prefer to cut and paste things by others.

If you look at the facts that are presented on the Herpes website, the two types of Herpes are distinctly different even though their DNA is almost 50% identical. Newer reports are showing that you can have both Herpes Type 1 and 2 in the genital or oral areas. It is also becoming a belief that while Type 1 is socially accepted as a "cold sore" it can also possibly be the more dangerous of the two in terms of where it can spread and the problems it can cause.

The statistics on the Herpes website believes that only about 22% of adult Americans have Herpes Type 2. It also goes into great detail talking about antibodies that build up over time but thought I would paste the specifics so you can read yourself. Link to entire article from Herpes.com is also at very bottom:

"How Easily Spread?
As a number of readers have attested over the years, many people with genital herpes are at least as concerned about transmission-the likelihood of spreading the virus to a partner-as about their own health. On the other hand, few people with oral herpes, share this concern. Is this because one type is more contagious than the other?

The short answer is no. Both viral types are easily transmitted to their site of preference, and can also be spread to other sites. Both are most contagious during active outbreaks, but are often spread through viral shedding when there are no recognizable symptoms. According to Spruance, people with recurrent oral HSV-1 shed virus in their saliva about 5% of the time even when they show no symptoms. In the first year of infection, people with genital HSV-2 shed virus from the genital area about 6-10% of days when they show no symptoms, and less often over time. (Both of these figures reflect shedding as detected by viral culture.)

From here, however, the question of transmissibility gets more complicated. Acquisition of one type is more difficult-though certainly possible-if you already have the other type. This is because either type, contracted orally or genitally, causes the body to produce antibodies, some of which are active against both HSV-1 and 2. This acquired immune response gives some limited protection if the body encounters a second type. When a person with a prior HSV infection does contract the second type, the first episode tends to be less severe than when no prior antibodies are present.

On a practical level, this means oral HSV-1 is often the most easily acquired herpes infection. Usually the first herpes simplex virus that people encounter, oral HSV-1, is typically spread simply by the kind of social kiss that a relative gives a child. Because children have no prior infection with any HSV type, they have no immune defense against the virus.

By the time they're teenagers or young adults, about 50% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies in their blood. By the time they are over age 50, some 80-90% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies.

By comparison, almost all HSV-2 is encountered after childhood, when people become sexually active. Those who have a prior infection with HSV-1 have an acquired immune response that lowers - though certainly doesn't eliminate-the risk of acquiring HSV-2. According to one study (Mertz, Annals of Internal Medicine,1992), previous oral HSV-1 infection reduces the acquisition of subsequent HSV-2 infection by 40%.

A prior infection with oral HSV-1 lowers the risk of acquiring genital HSV-1 even further. Studies show that genital HSV-1 infections almost always occur in people who have no prior infection with HSV of either type (Corey, Annals of Internal Medicine, 1983).

In the absence of prior oral infection, however, HSV-1 spreads easily to the genital area, usually through oral sex. In some countries, such as Japan and parts of Great Britain, genital HSV-1 is as common as genital HSV- 2, or more common."


Herpes HSV-1 & HSV-2

[Lascivious L&L]

Thanks for the great information, Diggin. Among sites there are some differences of opinion, but they are minor. My 58% infection rate of HSV-1 was from the CDC site and reflected the last general population study done for herpes. Our stats agree nicely.

The point is that herpes infection is more common than not. Most of us have been infected at some point in our lives. The antibody immune function is interesting in that infection with one reduces infection with the other. They are pretty similar. Most immune systems seem to hold the virus in check, as most people are completely unaware that they've been infected.

[DigginIt]

I realized when I posted that thread I left out a few sentences in answer to ncmd_couple's request.

I meant to include a reference to:

By the time they're teenagers or young adults, about 50% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies in their blood. By the time they are over age 50, some 80-90% of Americans have HSV-1 antibodies.

This would assume a large percentage is exposed to Type 1

In the absence of prior oral infection, however, HSV-1 spreads easily to the genital area, usually through oral sex.

The key to remember is that there are many factors that affect how susceptible you personally are but most importantly, the only sure way to avoid it is not to play. Mrs. Diggs and I think about our consequences all the time but to us it's worth the risk. I mean, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.

[slevin]

Some interesting links

SFCC :: STD Basics : STD Risks Chart
Antiretroviral Postexposure Prophylaxis After Sexual, Injection-Drug Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV in the United States </P><P>Recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

[celtic239]

This may sound like a very stupid question but can one acquire HSV 2 from giving a hand job to someone who is infected (skin on skin)?

[good times]

Originally Posted by celtic239

This may sound like a very stupid question but can one acquire HSV 2 from giving a hand job to someone who is infected (skin on skin)?

Yes, it is spread by contact.

[JustAskJulie]

Originally Posted by celtic239

This may sound like a very stupid question but can one acquire HSV 2 from giving a hand job to someone who is infected (skin on skin)?

To add to GoodTimes reply, all it takes is giving said handjob then touching yourself (whether touching your own lips or touching your own genitals).