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STDs & Sexual Health

Can You Get an STD from Kissing?

Faith Coleman

Medically reviewed by Faith Coleman, University of New Mexico School of Medicine on August 21st, 2026.

Yes, you can contract certain STDs from kissing. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes oral herpes, transmits easily through kissing and affects about 67% of people under age 50 worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO.) Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which causes genital herpes, can also be spread mouth to mouth. Human papilloma virus (HPV) can also be spread mouth to mouth, although it is more commonly spread through mouth-to-genital contact. Syphilis can spread through kissing if oral chancre sores are present. There is newer research showing that gonorrhea can be spread by kissing alone. Chlamydia, Hepatitis B and C, and HIV have minimal transmission risk through kissing alone, as they require direct contact with infected genital fluids or blood.

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