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It depends on what type of infection you have. Medical experts believe Gingivitis, for example, cannot be spread from person to person (unless an individual has very low immunity). Other sexually transmitted infections and diseases, including herpes, can be spread during oral sex.
When a person has oral herpes, “cold sores” or “fever blisters” can show up on the lips or around the mouth. These sores may also show up inside the mouth. Herpes can spread from an individual’s mouth to a partner’s genitals with brief skin-to-skin contact, whether sores are present or not. Because herpes may have no symptoms for years, sometimes it is very difficult to know who passed it to whom. 
It’s also possible to spread the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) during oral sex. Some types of HPV produce warts on different parts of the body, some types lead to certain cancers, and some produce genital warts. Genital warts can appear in the mouth or genital area and are passed from one person to another by skin-to-skin contact, usually during sex play.
Oral sex can also spread HIV. If you have sores, cuts, or inflammation in your mouth or throat, you are at greater risk of contracting an infection or HIV. Although the risk of contracting HIV this way is pretty low, it can still happen.
We encourage you to make an appointment with a medical health care professional. Call 1-866-476-1321 to set up an appointment with a trusted Planned Parenthood provider.
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s Education Department carefully selects all weekly questions. All questions are actual inquiries made to PPNNE by college-aged students.
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