A prominent doctor has weighed in on social media claims that you can get chlamydia by touching gym equipment.
The first cause of concern was a TikTok user claiming to have been infected. At the gym, after wiping my eyes with a towel placed on my seat.
User @grinny45 initially went to the doctor complaining of a mild benign eyelid infection, also known as “conjunctivitis.”
Tests revealed that the cause was chlamydia. Since the author was not sexually active, his doctor asked him if he exercised often, to which he answered “yes.”
“Someone may have sweated on the seat where the gym towel was placed.” [on]wipe your face, [got] ‘My eyes have turned pink,’ doctors are said to have told him.
In a reaction video that has been viewed nearly 10 million times, another user @alaskaaayoung77 blames the phenomenon on “women who go commando at the gym.”
Others responded by posting clips of them deep cleaning gym equipment before using it, citing fears of “chlamydia in the eyes” as the reason.
Dr. Joe Whittington, who now has more than 3 million followers across social media, has given the medical verdict and provided an alternative explanation.
A prominent doctor has weighed in on social media claims that you can get chlamydia by touching gym equipment.
In a reaction video that has been viewed almost 10 million times, another user, @alaskaaayoung77, blames the phenomenon on “women who were commandos at the gym.”
In an Instagram reel that has been viewed 638,000 times since being posted two days ago, Dr. Joe, as he is known, asked, “Can you really get chlamydia from gym equipment?” I’m asking questions.
The paramedic continued: “We all know that this disease is primarily spread by conduct, not by casual contact or touching surfaces.”
“So unless you’re doing something special with gym machines, you’re safe.”
Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in the UK, with chlamydia, caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis, topping the list by far.
The bug is transmitted through contact, vaginal, anal, or oral sex, but it’s often spread by people who don’t show symptoms and don’t get tested.
However, according to sexual health experts, SH:24concerns that it can be transmitted through gym equipment and towels are unfounded.
“Chlamydia is transmitted through sexual contact, including oral, vaginal, and anal sex,” it summarizes.
“It can also be transmitted by sharing sex toys. Chlamydia can’t survive outside the body for long, so you can’t get chlamydia from things like kisses, hugs, towels, and toilet seats.”
Concerns first arose after a TikTok user claimed to have been infected after wiping his eyes with a towel placed on his seat at the gym.
Nevertheless, Dr. Joe added that there are infections that can be transmitted through gym surfaces.
“You don’t have to worry about MRSA, ringworm, or skin warts, so be sure to wipe the device down before using it.”
Earlier this year, the Health and Safety Executive reported that 401,800 people will be newly diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in the UK in 2023, an increase of 4.7% on the previous year.
The sharpest increase was among 13- and 14-year-olds, whose numbers rose by almost a fifth (19.5%) to 459.
This was followed by pensioners aged 65 and over, with the number of new infections increasing by 18.2% to 2,885.
Some Britons engage in risky, unprotected sex after meeting on dating apps, while others start new sexual relationships after divorce or widowhood.
Concerns have also been raised about children imitating what they see in pornography that is freely accessible on mobile phones.
Sexually transmitted infections dropped significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, then spiked as people began to return to normal sexual activity.
But interest rates remain below pre-pandemic levels.
