Can You Catch Something From a Toilet Seat?
Nothing stirs up emotions quite like toilet seats. The frightening idea of catching an infection from simply sitting has been hotly contested.
We recently heard from a senior citizen who reported that her husband had contracted herpes from the facilities at their gym. She insisted that she and her husband do not “mess around.” We repeated conventional medical wisdom that such transmission is rare.
A doctor responded:
“As a dermatologist, I read with interest a recent letter to your column regarding herpes simplex erupting on the buttock being contracted from a contaminated toilet seat. This is almost certainly not the source of the infection.
“The initial infection in these cases usually gains entry from the genital skin during sexual contact. The virus then travels up the nerve to hide out near the spine. When the virus becomes active again and travels down the nerve, it can follow a different branch to the skin of the buttock, resulting in a blistering herpes eruption there.
“I suspect the implications of sexual transmission make the toilet seat origin a more appealing explanation.”
Anecdotal Evidence to the Contrary
The doctor may well be right that some people welcome a more innocent explanation so they don’t have to admit to “messing around.” But we have heard from a number of other people who have had a remarkably similar experience, and all are adamant about the role of a seat.
One reader confirms:
“We have experienced the same situation this spring. We are certain I contracted herpes on my bottom from certain gym equipment where we work out regularly. I had worn lightweight jogging shorts and knew that on certain equipment, particularly upright bikes and straddled equipment, the crotch might be exposed. I even commented on my concern to the trainer once. We too are senior citizens who do not ‘mess around.’
“Don’t discourage people from considering non-standard modes of exposure, rather than simply dismissing them as ‘rare.’ Your reader might have contracted herpes from the gym equipment seats, not the toilet seat. Perhaps gyms pose public health risks that require attention, care and excellent hygiene.”
We also received this note from a nurse:
“I was taught in nursing school that one could not get herpes from a toilet seat. I have contracted herpes and my husband of 36 years remains free of the disease. Since I have had only one partner in my 57 years and he remains clear, I must assume that I caught herpes from a toilet seat.
“Intact skin makes it hard for a person to catch this disease. But I get occasional splits in the skin near the base of the spine, and this is where my herpes has appeared. I do not have vaginal herpes.
“Those of us who have the disease and have not had sex with more than one person in our entire lives are devastated to learn that we are carriers. Thank goodness for a wonderful physician and an understanding husband.”
Despite the dermatologists’ disclaimer that it is practically impossible for a person to catch herpes without sexual contact, these readers’ accounts throw medical dogma into question. Perhaps it’s time for scientists to take a second look at toilet seats, bicycle saddles and other gym equipment.
