The idea that you can get genital herpes via a toilet seat has been around for a long time. Misguided sex-ed teachers, high school locker room banter, and the development of social media have done nothing to dispel this herpes myth. So we decided it was time to lay this urban legend to rest once and for all.
Is It Possible To Get Herpes From A Toilet Seat?
The short answer is no. It is extremely uncommon, if not impossible, to contract herpes via a toilet seat. Nonetheless, it is not insurmountable. Allow us to clarify.
How Widespread Is Herpes?
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most frequent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 3.7 billion adults (younger than 50) who carry the HSV-1 virus and another 417 million who contain the HSV-2 virus. 1 Oral herpes and genital herpes are very contagious and are nearly entirely transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with an active or open sore.
Is it safe to assume that the majority of the population has herpes? To add to the uncertainty, there is no conclusive answer to the question of how many people worldwide are infected with herpes. Many illnesses cause only minor or no symptoms at all. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every six people in the United States between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes. 2 According to the WHO, around 67% of the population aged 50 and younger is infected with HSV-1, which often causes oral herpes, and 11% of those aged 14 to 49 are infected with HSV-2, which commonly causes genital herpes. 3 In terms of percentages, this means that more than half of the world’s population is infected with some type of the herpes virus.
How Can One Contract Herpes?
Skin-to-skin contact can include sexual activities, but it can also be as simple as a peck on the cheek or forehead. Remember that babies are highly vulnerable to the herpes virus.
If you are infected with the virus, it is critical that you do not kiss babies on the lips, head, cheek, hand, or anyplace else. Parents of little children should be especially watchful in this area to keep their children safe. In reality, many adults who have oral herpes caught it as infants or toddlers from infected adults who were not as cautious.
But, as simple as it is to spread the herpes virus from one person to another, it is vital to note that the virus cannot survive outside the body. When the herpes virus is isolated from the body, it does not persist long4 – it loses its infectious potency in about two hours. After that period, the virus poses no hazard to anyone with whom it comes into touch.
Symptoms Of Herpes
Many herpes infections go undetected for months, years, or even a lifetime. Those who do develop herpes symptoms typically begin about 10 days after infection and include:
Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, muscular pains, exhaustion, enlarged lymph nodes, and nausea.
Blister-like lesions developing around the genitals or mouth, especially in the vagina or on the cervix, penis, anus, buttocks, or inside of the thighs
These blisters will often break, forming painful sores that will heal and dissipate within a few days. The first outbreak is usually the most painful, but your body will respond to the infection more effectively over time, making subsequent outbreaks less painful and shorter in duration. If you suspect you have herpes, you should get checked right away. If you do not have symptoms but have been exposed, being tested is the best method to find out if you have herpes.
How Does Herpes Test Work?
Herpes testing is more difficult than testing for other STDs. Diagnosis can be challenging because medical practitioners rely on symptoms to make a diagnosis, which is obviously impossible with asymptomatic infections. When you go to the doctor, they will usually check any blisters or sores and take a sample or swab from one that is not healing. These are the most accurate testing samples. At std test dubai many tests are available for persons who do not have blisters or sores, but the accuracy of the results is dependent on time. If you get tested too soon after infection, you may get a false negative. The CDC recommends waiting at least 16 weeks following exposure to receive appropriate blood test results.
Can Herpes Be Cured On Its Own?
Herpes is, unfortunately, a lifelong affliction. When outbreaks occur, drugs are available to assist minimize symptoms and speed up healing. There are other suppressive medications that can reduce the chance of transferring the virus to a partner by more than 90%, which is especially important for couples who want to have unprotected intercourse or are attempting to conceive. 6
What Is The Lifespan Of Herpes On A Toilet Seat?
Let us now apply it to the original urban rumor of whether you can get herpes via a toilet seat. To catch herpes from a surface like a toilet seat, laboratory-level conditions would be required.
An infected person would have to use the restroom while ensuring that the seat did not come into direct contact with an open sore. They would then probably depart the bathroom or stall, requiring an uninfected individual to step in and make skin contact with the specific viral area of the toilet seat.
This unusual circumstance is not completely out of the realm of possibility, but it is safe to say that catching HSV through a toilet is exceedingly uncommon. While public restrooms may not be the cleanest locations you’ll ever visit, the idea of contracting HSV-2 by mistake is a fiction. The risk of contracting herpes through a toilet seat or any other means other than skin-to-skin contact is not worth the concern.
Other Frequently Asked Herpes Questions
Is it possible to get herpes through kissing? Absolutely, herpes infection can be transmitted by kissing. If the person has an active outbreak or open sore in or around the mouth, the risk is increased. While the virus that causes oral herpes is different from the virus that causes genital herpes, the infection can still be transferred from the mouth to the genitals if oral intercourse is conducted while sores are present.
Is it possible to develop herpes from sharing a drink? Herpes transmission from a shared drink is extremely uncommon, if not impossible. Because the virus is relatively frail and does not thrive outside the body, taking a sip from someone else’s drink poses no significant danger of herpes infection. Nevertheless, we do not encourage sharing drinks in general because it exposes you to other potential illnesses, so if you want to have a drink, buy your own.
Is it possible to contract an STD from a swimming pool? The short answer is that you cannot contract an STD by swimming in a pool or relaxing in a hot tub with others. Other health concerns and illnesses that could make you sick exist, but any pool, hot tub, or spa that has the capacity to harbor this bacterium would fail any inspection. While you’re in a private pool or hot tub, as long as proper maintenance is performed, the combination of chemicals and water dilution protects your safety.
Toilet seats aren’t dangerous, but herpes should be taken seriously at all times.
Now that we’ve debunked the toilet seat myth, if you want to learn more about HSV or how to maintain your sexual health with routine STD testing, browse our selection of discrete testing options or contact one of our care counselors now.
Check out Novelty STD’s Sexual Health Resource Directory for information on testing, age- and demographic-based options, and more.