Health experts consider transmitting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) via a toilet seat impossible. Sitting on a toilet does not expose a person to infection.
Ledernase/Getty Images
This article explores whether someone can contract an STD from a toilet seat, other possible viruses that may spread on a toilet, and what to do about preventing infections.
Why is it not possible to spread STDs on the toilet?
STDs are conditions that usuallyTrusted Source spread through sexual contact without involving a barrier method.
These infections can be either bacterial or viral. In both cases, the infection cannot last very long in an environment or nonhuman host. For this reason, even if an STD transmits onto a toilet seat, it is very unlikely that the infection will survive until the next person uses the toilet.
Additionally, if the infection remains on the toilet seat, a person would need to sit in a specific position or have open skin sores that direct contact with the seat’s surface to contract it.
For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)Trusted Source highlight that it is impossible to contract syphilis, a bacterial STD, through casual contact with a toilet seat.
Nonsexually transmitted viruses
ResearchTrusted Source suggests that some nonsexually transmitted viruses are more likely to spread from within the toilet Kolkata escort service through fecal-oral transmission than from a toilet seat, particularly during flushing. Flushing the toilet causes particles to rise into the air, so avoiding spending time in a public cubicle after flushing is better.
Other bacterial or viral infections can spread in the washroom via:
open-lid toilet flushing
ineffective handwashing or hand drying
substandard or infrequent surface cleaning
blocked drains
uncovered rubbish bins
If someone thinks they have contracted a virus, they should contact a healthcare professional for a diagnosis.
People have become considerably more familiar with measures to prevent viruses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Viruses in public places are respiratory infections that often spread through the air.
Protection and prevention
The best method of protection from these viruses in public places includes:
physical distancing
avoiding spending time in crowds
wearing a mask to reduce exposure
To prevent the spread of possible infections in public places, such as a washroom, a person can practice:
appropriate handwashing with water and soap for at least 20 seconds
drying hands until they are fully dry
using hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, where possible, in case there is a lack soap or running water
limiting time spent in a public washroom in a single visit, ideally less than 15 minutes
closing the toilet lid before flushing
leaving the cubicle immediately after activating the flush button
maintaining physical distance from other users and avoiding crowded washrooms
avoiding touching the exit door handle or other surfaces in the washroom after washing hands and before leaving the area.•
kolkataescorts 