If your sexual partner performs oral sex on you can they be infected as well ?

Hi Honeyredd333,

Thanks for asking your question, it is a common one.  I'm not a doctor, so I cannot give medical advice, but I do have herpes and so I have experience with, and knowledge about, the disease.

The answer to that question is always yes.  Yes, anytime an uninfected person is having unprotected sex, oral or otherwise, with an infected person there is always a possibility that the disease can be spread.  That doesn't mean that the disease will always be spread, but the chance to spread is, indeed, always there.  There are ways of avoiding spreading the disease, like using a dental dam.  I have never used one, and I have yet to meet a person who's used one, but the option is out there.  I try to be very conscientious about my personal hygiene and health.

People (myself included) always want to hear that there is no way to spread herpes through oral sex, but the reality is the risk is always there.  However, one can reduce that risk using condoms, dental dams, anti-virals, and education.  If you'd like more information, I suggest you visit the Herpes Prevention page as well as the Dating and Relationships page and the Herpes Basics page.

Good luck!

PJ