QUESTION
If I give a blowjob and swallow can that cause a bronchial infection?

ANSWER
Bronchitis is a lung infection caused by bacteria or viruses. I am not aware of any cases of bronchitis related to giving a blowjob. The bacteria or viruses that might hang out in or on the penis are different than the ones that cause lung infections. In addition the sucking and swallowing that happens during a blowjob causes the epiglottis to cover the windpipe to prevent fluids from going into the lung. Nice how are we made that way!

That said, it is never a bad idea to protect yourself, because we know STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis can be spread through oral sex. While condoms for oral sex may not be for everyone, getting a regular STD check-up and having partners who get regular STD check-ups are good ways to stay sexually healthy. Finally, there’s a myth out there that not swallowing reduces the risk of getting STDs. That’s not something we’ve seen with STDs like gonorrhea or chlamydia and in fact we published a research study showing that was not the case [www.sfcityclinic.org/providers/Colfax et al]. It still may be true that not swallowing lower the chance to get HIV but that’s never really been studied since the spread of HIV through oral sex is so rare.

To your health,
Dr. K