Is it possible to get UTIs, STDs catch from toilet seats?

(MENAFN) Public toilets can be unsettling—the sight of urine or other bodily fluids, combined with unpleasant smells, makes many people take extreme precautions, like covering the seat with toilet paper or avoiding contact altogether. But how risky is it, really?

According to microbiologists, the chances of catching a disease from a toilet seat are extremely low. Jill Roberts, a public health professor at the University of South Florida, explains that most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including gonorrhea and chlamydia, cannot survive long outside the human body. Transmission from a toilet seat would require the near-immediate transfer of fresh bodily fluids to the genitals—a highly unlikely scenario.

Bloodborne diseases and urinary tract infections (UTIs) are also rarely spread through toilet seats. Blood is generally visible and avoidable, and UTIs typically occur from bacteria near your own urinary tract rather than from external surfaces.

There are exceptions for some viruses that can survive longer outside the body. Human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes genital warts, can persist on surfaces for up to a week due to its tough protein shell. However, transmission would still require broken skin in the genital area. Similarly, the herpes virus could theoretically spread if someone with an active outbreak sheds virus onto a seat, but the risk remains very low.

In short, while good hygiene is important, elaborate toilet-seat avoidance tactics are mostly unnecessary. Direct skin-to-skin or bodily fluid contact remains the primary way these infections spread.

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