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Kissing can cause Gonorrhoea to spread as expert claims 'The Clap' advice needs changing

Kissing can cause Gonorrhoea to spread  as expert claims 'The Clap' advice needs changing
Published 1 years ago on Apr 26, 2023

Experts are warning that the sexually transmitted disease known as Gonorrhoea can actually now transfer via kissing.

For decades, it was thought that the disease known to some as “The Clap” could only be spread through actual unprotected sex.

But now a team from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre have warned that current advice around it should be changed after their discovery.

Professor Eric Chow told Mail Online:  “We think it is possible to catch gonorrhoea via kissing.

“I think the guidelines should be updated.”

And publishing a review about it called Sexually Transmitted Diseases, he and his team said: “We found oropharyngeal gonorrhoea was associated with exposure to a partner's mouth through kissing.

“A number of pieces of evidence suggest transmission from the oropharynx (back of the throat) may be more common than previously thought.

“It can be cultured from saliva, suggesting that the exchange of saliva between individuals may potentially transmit gonorrhoea.”

The  UK Government did actually updat its guidelines a month ago after a rise in cases had been reported.

They urged anyone with new or “multiple” sexual partners to get tested.

It had been found that, from January to September 2022 cases were 21% higher than those reported over the same period in 2019.

Data also indicates that during the first nine months of 2022, gonorrhoea cases were higher than those reported over the same period in each of the last three years.

Dr Claire Dewsnap, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: "The rise in gonorrhoea cases provides an important reminder of the importance of testing for STIs and wearing a condom every time you have sex.

"By getting tested at least once a year, regardless of whether you’re showing symptoms, you can help minimise the risk of catching or passing on STIs when having sex.

"Delaying access to the right care and treatment also risks developing longer term problems which can be more difficult to address.

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