Bathrooms can be vile, unsavory and smelly places — so no wonder people think you can get an STI from a toilet seat! But the theory doesn’t hold much scientific sway. Here, we dispel restroom fact from fiction.
How STIs are Transmitted
STIs are transmitted in multiple ways. Some can be transmitted skin to skin; some need genital-to-genital contact, others through bodily fluid coming into contact with other bodily fluids, and still others can happen through oral-to-genital contact.
However, a virus, bacteria or parasite has to be alive to infect another person — and these organisms cannot survive long outside of the body or on the hard surface of a public toilet seat.
Why The Toilet Seat Theory is Folklore
Since these organisms don’t live very long outside the body, there’s little chance that you can come in contact with them by sitting down on a toilet. Experts say that theoretically if a toilet seat contained fresh blood or bodily fluids infected with an STI and you sat on them with an open wound, you might technically get that STI, but the chances are astronomical. In fact, there are no recorded cases of someone getting an STI from a toilet seat.
If you Still Want to Minimize Exposure
Still, since a public restroom can be a germy place to visit, you should take precautions and use good hygiene. It’s not the common cold or flu you have to worry about — those won’t survive on a toilet seat either — but viruses like the norovirus can live longer outside the body. The most common place to catch this virus in the bathroom is going to be from the faucet handle or door knob — not the toilet seat. Once it’s on your hands, it can be transferred to the mouth. You can prevent this by practicing good restroom hygiene.
- Try to avoid touching your face in a public restroom.
- Always wash your hands for 20 seconds after using a public restroom.
- If you have a choice, opt for paper towels over air dryers to dry your hands.
- Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet after washing your hands and to open the door.
Finally, while yes, bathrooms are germy places, so are schools, offices, public transportation and more — but at least they have soap for you to wash away the organisms that could get you sick.
