You realize there are STD's that can be passed through simple skin contact, right? All any of us can do is figure out what risks we are willing to take, and act accordingly. This question has been asked a million times, as has the BBBJ, and BBFS question. Personally, I say do you, and assume everyone else is doing EVERYTHING. Plan accordingly.
Originally Posted by CarolineDavenport
This x1000.
It's all risk management. AIDS can technically be spread a kiss or accidentally scratching the head of a loved one when you were massaging them after you bit your nails.
Why do we then teach our kids that AIDS is NOT spread by a kiss but IS spread by vaginal or anal sex?
Risk management.
The chances of spreading AIDS with receptive anal sex (assuming the giver is necessarily positive) is about 1.38%. Eww, scary.
Through insertive anal sex: 0.0011%.
Through receptive vaginal sex: 0.0008%
Through insertive vaginal sex: 0.0004%
For quantitative support, see:
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/policies/law/risk.html
It's generally understood that when kissing its negligible. However, when both partners have open sores in the mouth, the chances of transmitting HIV during a kiss jumps drastically. I have prior knowledge (I did some work in graduate school modeling aids on a computer and learned all about the disease) that under these circumstances, transmission chances are in the range similar to having unprotected receptive vaginal sex.
For basic qualitative support, see kissing section:
https://www.aids.gov/frequently-asked-questions/
Yet, we still teach our children that kissing will not transmit the virus. Why? Because someone has a better chance of getting struck by lightening on Mars while jerking off a leprechaun (happy Saint Patty's day) that looks like Snooki than transmitting AIDS by kissing... well I guess all leprechauns look like Snooki...
So back to the OP's original point: your chances of getting an STD through oral is quite small, although possible. However, you can mitigate the risk by not letting someone go down on you that has a cold sore, much like we mitigate the AIDs risk by requiring a condom.
I don't have the numbers, but I would guess that the vast majority of providers will never get the vag-herps with all the DATY that their clients can perform.