Gonorrhoea IS spread by kissing: Game-changing study overturns decades of medical advice

By Liam On Apr 23, 2023

Gonorrhea really can be spread through kissing, leading scientists now claim.

For decades, sexual health experts have maintained that “the blow” cannot spread through kissing, but is instead transmitted through unprotected sex.

But researchers say the evidence is now clear enough that the guidelines need to be changed.

Professor Eric Chow, from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, told MailOnline: ‘We think it is possible to contract gonorrhea from kissing.

‘I think the guidelines should be updated.’

Gonorrhea can be spread by kissing, scientists say, calling for guidelines to be changed

In January, his team of researchers conducted a review of six studies that looked at whether French kissing was a risk factor for gonorrhea and chlamydia.

The review, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, found that kissing increased the risk of infection.

However, this was not the case for chlamydia.

Meanwhile, a study published in July by many of the same researchers found that kissing can spread gonorrhea. It analyzed the sexual histories and STI data of more than 2,000 gay and bisexual men.

“We found that oropharyngeal gonorrhea was associated with exposure to a partner’s mouth through kissing,” the study authors wrote in eClinicalMedicine.

WHAT IS GONORRHEA?

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus.

This bacteria is usually found in penile secretions or vaginal fluid.

It is passed on through unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex, as well as sharing vibrators or sex toys that have been used without a condom.

The bacteria can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, throat, or eyes.

It can also spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies.

Because the bacteria cannot survive for long outside the body, gonorrhea is not spread through kissing, hugging, sharing towels, toilet seats, or swimming.

About one in ten men and half of women experience no symptoms.

However, these can be:

Thick green or yellow discharge from the genitals
Pain when urinating
Bleeding between periods in women

Treatment is usually a single injection of antibiotics and a tablet.

Gonorrhea can be prevented by using condoms during sex and not sharing sex toys.

Source: NHS choices

And in 2019 the same team found gay men were more likely to have gonorrhea in their throats than their penises — and the risk of spreading it was higher with kissing than with oral sex.

“A number of pieces of evidence suggest transmission from the oropharynx [back of the throat] may be more common than previously thought,” Professor Chow and his colleagues wrote in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections.

‘[The bacteria] can be cultured from saliva, suggesting that the exchange of saliva between individuals could potentially transmit gonorrhea.’

It means that, they claim, using saliva as a lubricant during sex can also pose a risk.

A spokesperson for the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV told MailOnline: ‘New research into the transmission of STIs is important for our understanding of how they spread and, in this case, how to reduce the risk of gonorrhea transmission.

Gonorrhea is mainly passed on through unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex.

“While there may be instances where it has passed from mouth to mouth through kissing, this is probably very uncommon.”

“This research highlights the importance for individuals to get tested regularly, especially after condomless sex with a new or casual partner.

“It remains essential for everyone to have access to quality sexual health services to keep you and your sexual partners safe.”

According to the NHS, gonorrhea cannot be spread through mouth-to-mouth contact.

Meanwhile, the US CDC advisory says there isn’t enough evidence to prove it is spread by kissing.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned in March that the number of cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has risen to a record high.

Preliminary UKHSA data showed 56,327 cases were recorded between January and September 2022, a 21 per cent increase from the 46,541 recorded during the same period in 2019, which was the previous high.

Health bosses said the spike is largely driven by people aged 15 to 24 “because of more frequent changes in sexual partners.”

Gonorrhea is usually easily treated with a single injection of antibiotics.

But experts fear the bacteria, like others, is slowly changing to become resistant to the drugs.

Several strains of ‘super gonorrhea’ have already been discovered around the world, including in the UK and the US.