The doctor explained why it is impossible to get an STI in a swimming pool or sauna

Obstetrician-gynecologist and surgeon Kristina Kondrashkina said that the thought of contracting syphilis, HIV, gonorrhea or chlamydia in a sauna or swimming pool frightens many. She assessed the likelihood of contracting sexually transmitted diseases in public places in a conversation with Life.

The doctor said that in order to contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI), three conditions must be met: a viable pathogen, a sufficient dose of the pathogen, and damaged skin. According to her, the coincidence of all three factors occurs during sexual intercourse, but not in the water of a swimming pool, sauna or on a toilet seat. Thus, it is impossible to become infected with an STI in a public toilet or in other public places, Kondrashkina emphasized.

“The causative agents of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV do not survive well outside the body. In the pool they are destroyed by chlorine, and even if the microorganism gets into the water, it dissolves in a huge volume. The temperature, acidity and salt composition of the water are not suitable for infection,” the specialist noted.

Kondrashkina added that on the dry and cold surface of the toilet, viruses that provoke the development of STIs quickly die. In addition, the intact skin of the thighs and buttocks, which is in contact with the toilet seat, is practically impervious to such infections.