When it comes to visiting public toilets, you probably have the urge to either avoid it or protect yourself in some way - like putting tissues on the toilet. It's no surprise - we all know there are plenty of germs in that place.
This is reported by the Dr. Evin website.
It's normal to worry about the possibility of getting sick. But should you really be afraid of public restrooms? Here's what a 2022 study found.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 38 scientific papers from 13 countries, of which 14 were conducted in medical settings, 10 in laboratories or experimental chambers, and 14 in restaurants, offices, commercial and educational settings.
It turns out that public toilets are home to intestinal, skin and soil bacteria, as well as intestinal and respiratory viruses. In simple terms, the toilet is where there is a real risk of transmission of infection from one person to another.
And at the same time, it turned out that very few actual cases of infection have been reported in the scientific literature - the study authors found only two. Why so few? Here's what experts think about it.
Can I get an STD in the restroom?
A toilet seat is not an environment for STD pathogens - they do not live outside the human body for more than 10 seconds. Theoretically there is a chance of encountering an STD, but practically it can happen only in a very specific situation - for example, if the blood of a sick person from the seat gets into an open wound on the leg of a healthy visitor to the toilet.
But what about other diseases?
As the authors of the study explain, the reported cases of infection refer to intestinal diseases whose pathogens got "from hand to mouth as a result of fecal contamination of hands." In other words, proper handwashing is enough to minimize this risk.
Should we now give up "hanging out" over the toilet? According to Christina, this is a question each person decides for themselves. "It may not protect you from infection, but you will worry less about what germs you've been sitting on, which will make you feel calmer," she says.
It is also recommended to read the material entitled "Women have been told how to loosen up during sex.".
