[Question #4504] questions about std/pregnancy

81 months ago

I have a question. One of my friends is pregnant (approximately 25 weeks) and she had a vaginal bleeding. She went to the midwife and was checked, and the midwife said she was oke. No I am wondering if the bleeding could be caused by an STD she catched from me, through a toilet seat.

I have the following questions: .

1. I (a woman) had sexual intercourse with a man. The contact was by fingers (while not using a condom and he also touched his own penis before he touched me). Also, there was a moment where my labia touched his scrotum. We did not do penetration, but we rubbed each others genitals to each other (with a condom, but it slipped a bit down on some moments. My labia did not touch the top of his penis). Could I have cathed a STD from this? (for example chlamydia, gonorrea, trichomonasis)

2. I had an STD test, I will get the results next weeks. However, the moment I did the test was around 8 weeks after the sexual contact. Is it possible that if my results say that I don't have an STD, that I had it during the 8 weeks before? (because I read that trichomonasis for example, can recover in 6 weeks).

3. Suppose some of my vaginal fluid landed on the toilet seat (this happens sometimes, via my leg), and there was also a little water on the toilet seat (so the STD's did not dry out). My friend went to this toilet allmost immedeatily after my toilet visit, could she have cathed my STD then?

4. Could this STD (for example chlamydia, gonorrea, trichomonasis) have caused here bleeding?

5. Should I warn her now? For any complications that could come from this STD's?

Thank you in advance!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

81 months ago

Welcome to our Forum. I'll be glad to answer your questions in step-by-step fashion. Let me start by telling you that your friend is not at risk for catching an STI from a toilet seat, no matter who used it before her. STIs are not transmitted on toilet seats. For here, I will work through your other questions in a step-by-step fashion:

We receive many questions on this topic. There is no evidence that STIs are transmitted from person to person through the transfer of genital secretions in the process of mutual masturbation or through transfer of genital secretions on one person's hands to another. the situation you describe was a no risk event. Even when condoms slip down they still do their job.

eight weeks after sexual contact your test will give you accurate results. In a small proportion of persons, STIs can be acquired and then cleared without therapy. This is true for all STIs. Irrespective however, once you have your test results you will know clearly wether or not you have an STI.

No, people do not catch STIs from toilet seats. They do not catch STIs if wet genital secretions are on the toilet seat and they sit on them, nor do they catch STIs from toilet water which splashes up. This is true even if your friend used the toilet immediately after you.

4. Could this STD (for example chlamydia, gonorrea, trichomonasis) have caused here bleeding?

STIs cause bleeding but nothing you have described suggests any risk for infection in you or your friend. There are also many other causes of leeding in pregnancy. I strongly recommend against worrying your friend with these concerns. She is not at risk from you.

5. Should I warn her now? For any complications that could come from this STD's?

No, please see above.

I hope these answers are helpful to you. EWH

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81 months ago

Thank you very much for your response. This is very helpful to me. I have some follow-up questions.

I asked the same question to a Dutch organisation (at the same time I asked it here) and they said it is very unlikely but not totally impossible to catch trichomonas from a toilet seat. And that for the other STD’s it is indeed impossible. Is it impossible or very unlikely for trichomonas?
Second, I recently heard of a "new" STD, mycoplasma genitalium? Is that also impossible to catch from toilet seats? In that case, should I warn my pregnant friend for that? (regarding the situation in my last message).
Then, my last question. I might have had a genital wart a long time ago (a little bump inside my vagina, that I did not get tested then), before I ever had sexual intercourse by penetration. So I did catch that from just fingers then. Is that easier to transfer than other STD’s then?

Thank you in advance!

Edward W. Hook M.D.

81 months ago

Thanks for your follow-up questions. I'll provide brief followup responses

1. With most people there are always a small proportion of infections which tend to be difficult to explain. This in turn invites alternate explanations such as transmission from toilet seats and other inanimate objects. Yet there are no well documented, proven cases n which these routes have been proven. I am not aware of any proven cases in which any STI, including trichamonas have been acquired from toilet seats. I suppose it is theoretically possible, just as it is possible that you could be struck by a meteor falling for space. Getting any STI is so unlikely that it is an unrealistic concern.

2. The role of Mycoplasma genitalium as an STI is a topic of ongoing study. "Your friend" (I presume this is you and tire or people saying they are asking questions for "friends") does not need testing for Mg and there is no reason to worry about getting it from a toilet seat.

3. Genital warts are some common that it is hard to calculate how easily they are transmitted.

EWH

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