QUESTION
My partner likes me to swallow his cum, and when he sucks me, he swallows mine. How dangerous is it to swallow another guy’s semen?

ANSWER
Semen itself is not going to be harmful to you if you swallow it. But if the person has an STD, you can be exposed to it by having semen in your mouth. Oral sex provides the greatest risk for exposure to certain STDs such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and shigella (if your partner has just topped someone else unprotected). So far, there is no evidence that shows that swallowing semen is high risk for HIV transmission, although there have been a few case reports over the past 25 years of HIV being transmitted this way.

It’s important that when you get screened for STDs, the clinician tests you in multiple places (rectum, penis, throat, etc.). You may have to be specific with your provider about what you need. An easy rule to remember is, “If you use it, test it.” A good check-up includes throat testing for gonorrhea, rectal testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia, urine testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia and blood tests for herpes, syphilis and HIV.

To find out the risks of giving and receiving oral sex and other sexual activities, see our STD Risks Chart.

To your health,
Dr. K