Q. You have written about the sorry state of public restrooms and wet toilet seats. You said to worry more about bacteria on flush handles or doorknobs, but what about jock itch? Women get it just as bad as men, and it sure can be catching from a wet or even a dry toilet seat.
A. Jock itch is known medically as Tinea cruris. It is a skin infection caused by fungi such as Candida, Epidermophyton or Trichophyton.
There is a shocking lack of research on how people catch jock itch. No studies show that toilet seats are culprits in transmitting this infection. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that contact with a contaminated toilet seat or even a locker room bench might spread the fungus from person to person. Using a toilet seat cover might be a reasonable precaution.
