Dirty hands
A friend of mine took his girlfriend out for dinner. They had sweet, hot, succulent suya at one of those Yahusa places in town. I only heard about it later. That was after his girlfriend was rushed to the emergency room complaining of heat in her private parts. It turns out that he did not wash his hands after the suya: before touching her private parts.
It’s a familiar story that reminded me about sexually transmitted diseases and the myth surrounding some of them. It always begged the question, how did the first person get the infection. I mean, yes, infections can be transmitted once your partner has it, but, how did your partner get it in the first place.
Some of the explanation and the myth has been that women get the diseases from the toilet seat. I know women who because of this do not sit on public toilets! Some lean over the seat and some actually stand on the basin!
The fact, more or less is that dirty hands actually transmitted the infection on to a woman’s private parts in the first place. Dirt from food, fruits, car steering wheels, doors, dirty shoes and socks and a whole host of other materials are likely the source of bacterial and fungal vaginal infections. In fact, some young women who are not yet sexually active also blame the toilet for developing infections.
The truth is that you do not get bacterial vaginosis from toilet seats, bedding, the Jacuzzi or from swimming pools. You get it from poor hygiene in most cases.
Poor hygiene
I asked my nurse to insert a urinary catheter in a female patient. I was there to assist her and was shocked by how she went about cleaning the woman’s private parts. Well, she cleaned right from the anus up into her vagina! That’s when I stopped her and had to do the cleaning and the catheterisation myself. It begged the question, how does my nurse clean herself? And, how many episodes of vaginal infections and urinary tract infections must people who do not clean properly go through: calling it ‘toilet disease’.
Not toilet disease
The chances of getting an infection from the toilet seat are very small because most of the infective agents that causes sexually transmitted diseases live for only a very short time outside the body (on the toilet seat for example). Chance to get infection might be present if you used the toilet right after someone with an infection had used the toilet. It may happen if they had deliberately put the disease all over the seat (just for you!). And then of course, you come along and rubbed yourself all over the toilet seat, just begging to be infected!
Take a real disease: Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the lips, mouth, the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils. Thus, women who have never had sexual intercourse are rarely affected.
In conclusion
Women should also learn how to clean properly and avoid douching. Always ask your partner to wash their hands before touching you. And you do the same!