Which STIs can you catch in your throat?
Several STIs can infect the throat through oral sex, and most produce no symptom you'd notice.
STIs that can affect the throat, their typical signs, and how they are tested.
Gonorrhoea in the throat
Throat (pharyngeal) gonorrhoea usually causes no symptoms, which is why it's easy to carry and pass on without knowing. When it does, a sore throat is the main one. A gonorrhoea test taken as a throat swab costs £104, with results within 3 working days. Genital and rectal gonorrhoea can behave differently, and our guide to gonorrhoea symptoms covers those sites.
Chlamydia in the throat
Oral chlamydia comes from giving oral sex to a partner who has a genital chlamydia infection, and most people with it have no symptoms at all. When it does cause something, a sore throat is the most likely sign. A chlamydia test taken as a throat swab is also £104, with results within 3 working days. Our oral chlamydia guide covers how it spreads and what testing involves.
Herpes in the throat and mouth
Herpes simplex virus, usually HSV-1, can infect the mouth and throat and cause painful sores or ulcers. A first episode sometimes brings a sore throat and difficulty swallowing too. If you have visible sores, a PCR swab of the sore is the most accurate herpes test, at £120.63 with results within 3 working days. Without visible sores, an HSV antibody blood test is £103.75, also with results within 3 working days. It shows past exposure rather than confirming an active throat infection.
Syphilis sores in the mouth
Syphilis spreads through oral contact with an infected sore (chancre), which can appear painlessly in or around the mouth and is easy to miss. A syphilis blood test is £85 plus the £50 blood draw (£135 total), with results in as little as 24 hours. The blood test can take a few weeks after infection to turn positive, so your clinician may suggest a repeat test later.
When is a sore throat more likely to be an STI?
Most sore throats, including after oral sex, are caused by the same viruses behind any other sore throat, and they settle within a week or so. An STI becomes more likely if the soreness lasts beyond that week or comes without the usual blocked or runny nose of a cold. The same applies if it follows oral sex with a new or casual partner, and that's a good time to book a throat swab.
Why a urine test won't find a throat infection
A standard urine test checks the genital tract, not the throat, so a negative urine result doesn't rule out a throat infection. If your only sexual contact has been oral, tell your clinician so the right sample site is used.
How throat testing works at our clinic
A throat swab is a quick, painless sample taken from the back of the throat by our clinical team. If syphilis is a concern too, we take a blood sample at the same visit. Results are given confidentially: within 3 working days for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and herpes swabs, and as little as 24 hours for syphilis.
For broader reassurance, our full STI screening packages cover chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and more in a single visit. Blood results come back in about 24 hours, and urine and swab results within 3 working days. You can walk in seven days a week at 117A Harley Street, and the visit is confidential, as with all our private STI testing in London.
If speed matters, our same-day STI testing FAST Screen returns all results in 6 hours. FAST Screen Simple (£350) covers HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and FAST Screen Complex (£450) adds hepatitis B and C. It uses a urine sample or a swab, and a throat swab can be added, with its result back within the same 6 hours.
Book a throat swab or syphilis blood test at 117a Harley Street.
When to see a doctor the same day
Call 999 or go to A&E if you're struggling to breathe or can't swallow your saliva. See a doctor the same day, or call NHS 111, if you have a high fever, severe pain or difficulty swallowing alongside your sore throat.
References
- NHS: Gonorrhoea
- NHS: Chlamydia
- NHS: Genital herpes
- NHS: Syphilis
- BASHH: UK national guideline for the management of gonorrhoea in adults
- UKHSA: Sexually transmitted infections surveillance data
