This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether you have an infection. A clinician can, and the testing options on this site are a good place to start.

Yes, you can get an STD from oral sex. Several infections pass from the mouth to the genitals or anus, and the other way around. Others rarely spread this way, or do not spread this way at all.

This guide walks through it step by step. You will learn which infections are linked to oral sex, which are not, and how to lower the chance of passing one on. It uses CDC information and Orange County data.

What You Need Before You Start

This is an information task, so the materials are simple:

About ten minutes to read the steps below.
A list of the kinds of oral sex you or a partner have had (mouth to penis, mouth to vulva, mouth to anus).
A rough idea of whether you or a partner have any symptoms, such as a sore throat that will not clear up, sores, or unusual discharge.
Your questions for a clinician. A nurse or doctor can answer what this article cannot.

Step 1: Know That Oral Sex Is Lower Risk for Some Infections, Not No Risk

The CDC says oral sex can pass certain infections, and that the chance varies by infection and by activity. Lower risk is not the same as no risk.

The risk applies to everyone. It does not depend on gender or orientation. What matters is the body parts involved and whether an infection is present in the mouth, throat, genitals or anus.

Step 2: Learn the Infections That Can Spread Through Oral Sex

The CDC STI Treatment Guidelines (2021) describe these as transmissible through oral sex.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea can infect the throat. It can pass from a throat to a partner's genitals, and from genitals to a partner's throat. Throat infections often cause no symptoms, according to the CDC. Gonorrhea is curable with treatment from a clinician.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia can also be found in the throat. The CDC notes that it is passed through oral sex less often than gonorrhea. Like gonorrhea, it is curable with treatment from a clinician.

Syphilis

Syphilis spreads through direct contact with a syphilis sore. Sores can be inside the mouth or on the lips, genitals or anus, and they can be painless or hard to see. Syphilis is curable with treatment from a clinician.

Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2)

Herpes passes through skin-to-skin contact. HSV-1 is often picked up in childhood as a cold sore, and it can pass from a mouth to the genitals during oral sex. HSV-2 can also be present around the mouth, though this is less common. The CDC says the virus can spread even when no sore is visible. Herpes is not curable, but it is manageable with treatment from a clinician.

HPV

Human papillomavirus can infect the mouth and throat as well as the genitals. The CDC says most HPV infections clear on their own, but some types can cause warts or cell changes over time. HPV is not curable, though the health problems it causes can be treated. The CDC recommends HPV vaccination, which a clinician can discuss with you.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A spreads through contact with stool, so mouth-to-anus contact can pass it. A vaccine is available, and a clinician can tell you whether it makes sense for you.

Step 3: Learn Which Infections Rarely or Do Not Spread This Way

HIV

The CDC describes the HIV risk from oral sex as very low. It is not zero in every circumstance, which is one reason clinicians ask about all of a person's exposures. HIV is not curable, but it is treatable, and people on effective treatment can stay healthy. If you want to know about prevention options, our guide to PrEP in Orlando covers how to get it and what it costs.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is mainly a genital infection. The CDC does not list oral sex as a usual route. It is curable with treatment from a clinician.

Bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections

These are not classed as STDs by the CDC, although they can show up alongside sexual activity. A clinician can sort out the cause of symptoms.

The CDC groups some other conditions, such as hepatitis B, among infections that spread mainly through other routes. If a specific infection is worrying you, ask a clinician about it directly.

Step 4: Notice What Your Local Numbers Show

Orlando is in Orange County, and the county publishes its own data. FLHealthCHARTS, from the Florida Department of Health, reports the following for 2025:

Infection (2025)	Orange County, per 100,000	Florida, per 100,000
Chlamydia	516.7	410.8
Gonorrhea	193.7	156.5

These are county figures, since FLHealthCHARTS does not publish a separate Orlando city number that we could find. Both bacterial infections are among those that can be found in the throat. Rates tell you how common an infection is across a population. They cannot tell you anything about your own situation.

Step 5: Lower the Chance of Passing or Getting an Infection

Use a barrier. The CDC says condoms and dental dams can reduce the chance of infection during oral sex. They work best when used from start to finish.
Talk with partners. Share what you each know about recent testing and any symptoms. A short, calm talk before sex is easier than one after.
Pause if sores or symptoms appear. Mouth sores, genital sores, or a new sore throat are worth a conversation with a clinician before further sexual contact.
Ask about vaccines. HPV and hepatitis A vaccines are available, and a clinician can tell you whether they apply to you.
Ask about other prevention options. The CDC issued doxy-PEP guidance in 2024 for certain groups. Whether it fits your situation is a decision for a clinician, who would prescribe it if appropriate.
Get tested at the right sites. This is the step people most often miss, covered next.

Step 6: Ask for Testing That Matches the Kind of Sex You Have

A urine test or genital swab may not check the throat. The CDC recommends that clinicians test the sites of possible exposure, which can include the throat and rectum, depending on a person's sexual activity. Telling the clinician which kinds of sex you have had helps them choose the right tests.

In Orlando, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County runs an STD clinic at 832 West Central Blvd. Its county page lists the phone number as 407-858-1400, says it is walk-in and first come, first served, and asks for a picture ID. The page says fees range from $20 and up, with a sliding scale after an eligibility screening. Check the clinic's hours by phone before you go, because the hours published in different places do not always match.

The county page does not say whether throat swabs are offered. Ask when you call. Miracle of Love's Test & Treat page says it does not perform gonorrhea or chlamydia swabs and points people to the Department of Health for those. You can compare more places on our list of Orlando testing locations.

Tips

Be specific with the clinician. Saying "I have had oral sex" is more helpful than leaving it out.
Many throat infections cause no symptoms, so a lack of symptoms does not tell you much either way.
If you get a bacterial infection treated, a clinician will explain whether partners should be treated too. Florida law (Fla. Stat. s. 384.27, per the CDC) allows expedited partner therapy under certain conditions, and a clinician can tell you whether it applies.
Bring your questions in writing. Clinic visits can go fast.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming oral sex is "safe sex." It carries lower risk for some infections, but not none.
Assuming a genital test covers the throat. Ask which sites are being tested.
Relying on how someone looks. Herpes and syphilis can be present without an obvious sore, and many infections have no symptoms at all.
Skipping barriers because there is no penetration. Barriers are useful for mouth-to-genital and mouth-to-anus contact too.
Treating a sore throat as a certain sign. Many things cause one. A clinician can tell the difference.

What Results to Expect

Using barriers and talking openly with partners may lower the chance of passing an infection, though no method removes the chance entirely. Testing the right sites may help a clinician find an infection that would otherwise go unnoticed. If a bacterial infection is found, treatment from a clinician cures it. If a viral infection such as herpes or HIV is found, treatment can help manage it. At the Orange County clinic, results take about one week, according to the county page, and are given in person or by coded text with signed consent.

Which STDs Spread Through Oral Sex, and Which Don't