QUESTION
I have mild to moderate itching inside my penis. It goes from the tip to about half way down. I do not have any discharge or pain when urinating. It has only been going on for a few days and in the last 1.5 months I have only had oral sex.

ANSWER
Any irritation in the urethra of the penis can be uncomfortable. The irritation could be caused by an STD, or it could be caused by something else. And yes, you can get an STD from oral sex. The mouth normally contains germs that can irritate the penis.

Itching of the penis can be associated with gonorrhea and chlamydia among other germs. Gonorrhea can be transmitted to both male and female partners during vaginal, anal and oral sex from a partner infected in his or her throat, vagina, urethra or anus. Gonorrheal infections are completely curable with antibiotics. Chlamydia can spread from person to person during sexual intercourse (vaginal and anal), even without complete insertion. It can also be transmitted from the throat to the penis and penis to the throat during oral sex, although this seems to be less common than oral sex transmission of gonorrhea.

You may want to head off to the local clinic and have a full STD screening to start off. In San Francisco, you can drop in at City Clinic at 356 7th Street between Folsom and Harrison. For a list of STD risks associated with oral sex, visit our STD risk charts online.

To your health,
Dr. K