Kids Channel
Topics
Medications
Quicklinks
Related Channels
Oral Sex Strep Throat
Although strep throat is a contagious bacterial infection, you cannot catch strep throat from oral sex. You can, however, get a sore throat through oral sex. This is because transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, can occur with oral sex. A sore throat is a common symptom of this type of throat infection.
Strep throat, on the other hand, is a throat infection typically spread through contact with infected throat mucus, nasal discharge, or saliva. This can happen in one of a couple of different ways:
- When a person infected with group A streptococcus sneezes or coughs, and infected droplets spray into the air. The infected mucus can land in another person's nose, throat, or eyes and enter their body.
- By touching a surface or object that has infectious fluids on it. If a person touches their mouth, nose, or eyes after touching something that has these fluids, the bacteria can be passed on to that person.
After a person has become infected with group A streptococcus, he or she does not immediately have any signs or symptoms of strep throat. It generally takes about two to four days before symptoms will appear.
(For more information on how strep throat is transmitted, click Strep Throat Transmission. This article describes how this throat infection is spread and how long the incubation period is.)
|
|
|
|
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD