We have all been told about the most common ways in which a dangerous sexually transmitted disease (STD) is usually transmitted. The primary transmission path is through having unprotected sexual intercourse, including oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Sharing needles is also a common transmission path that leads to a high number of STD cases in drug addicts. But did you also know that kissing is one of the common ways through which many dangerous STDs are transmitted?
STDs that are easily transmitted through the innocent act of kissing
Compared to the previously mentioned transmission paths, such as unprotected sexual intercourse and sharing needles, kissing is considered to be a low-risk, but the risk is still there and you should not ignore it. Kissing someone for the first time can be pretty awkward. However, it is not only your feelings for this new person that you need to consider, but you also need to consider their reproductive health and any history that they might have with STDs.
The truth is that there are a few STDs that can be potentially transmitted through the act of kissing since there is still a skin-to-skin contact and the exchange of saliva. Herpes, cytomegalovirus, and syphilis can all be transmitted through kissing with an infected person.
Herpes and cytomegalovirus can be transmitted through the saliva, whereas syphilis is more likely to be transmitted in the presence of sores in the mouth that can easily transmit the bacteria to someone else. French kissing increases the risk of transmission even more since you and your partner are touching your tongues and there is an exchange of a larger amount of saliva.
Over the years, there have been some misconceptions when it comes to the potential transmission of STDs through kissing. Here are the STDs that cannot be transmitted through kissing and we will tell you why:
- HIV – HIV is a viral infection, and so, the saliva is not capable of carrying the virus within it. But HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of other bodily liquids such as semen, blood, vaginal fluid, anal fluid, and even breastmilk;
- Chlamydia – Although Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, it cannot be transmitted through kissing. However, it can be transmitted through oral sex and other forms of sexual intercourse – vaginal and anal;
- Gonorrhea – Gonorrhea is another bacterial STD that cannot be transmitted through kissing;
- Hepatitis – Hepatitis cannot be transmitted through kissing since it requires unprotected sexual intercourse or the exchange of blood with an infected individual, to be transmitted;
- Trichomoniasis – Trichomoniasis is one STD that cannot be transmitted through oral or anal sex since vaginal sex is the only path of transmission, so understandably, kissing would not be an option either.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5856484/