Working out at the gym can feel a lot like sex. Your heart rate is up, hormones are flying all over the place, and you’ll probably be a little sweaty by the end of the session.
A lot of bodily fluids are thrown away at the gym. With all those fluids flying around, some people might wonder if it’s possible to get an STD from, say, using exercise equipment.
Recent concerns have appeared on social networking sites like TikTok about the possibility of getting likes on STDs Chlamydia from their gym equipment and using items such as towels left on certain surfaces. These concerns appeared to center on how some people use exercise equipment without fully covering their genitals.
So what’s going on here? Is it possible to get an STD from exercise equipment?
Continue reading to learn more.
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What are STDs?
Understanding how sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted under normal circumstances helps to understand whether you could catch one in a setting like a public gym.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STDs) tend to spread between people through sexual activity.
“Sexual activity” includes vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex and sharing sex toys – any activity where contaminated bodily fluids have the opportunity to come into contact with mucous membranes in the genitals, rectum, mouth , the eyes and the blood.
Mucous membranes are more porous entry points into your body than skin. They are the entry points that many pathogens use to enter your system. Contaminated secretions such as semen, vaginal fluids and blood carrying pathogens such as viruses and bacteria come into contact with these membranes and create infection.
With all that said, some infections can be passed between people through foreplay and kissing. HPV and Herpes are excellent examples of infections that do not require full sexual contact to be transmitted. Bloodborne infections, such as HIV and Hepatitis Bit can also infect another person through blood-to-blood contact, such as through blood transfusions or sharing needles when injecting drugs.
How long can some STDs survive outside the body?
So, unless you’re having sex at the gym, getting an STD while using a treadmill would require a mode of transmission that doesn’t involve the exchange of bodily fluids during intercourse.
Most pathogens that could be spread through sex tend not to live long outside the body, especially when exposed to the air. Bacteria such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can only live for a very short time outside the body, probably only a few minutes or hours.
However, some pathogens are more resistant. The virus that causes hepatitis B, for example, can live outside the body for several days, increasing the chance of transmission. This is especially important to know when using sex toys. Improper cleaning of sex toys between uses can lead to transmission of infections.
Is it possible to get an STD from exercise equipment?
The reality is that the chance of getting an STD from gym equipment is vanishingly rare. You are no more likely to get an STD from using exercise equipment than from using other everyday items that other people use.
Since you’re only using exercise equipment like machines and weights using your hands, feet, and other body parts, it’s nearly impossible for someone with an STD to deposit any contaminated bodily fluids on a machine that could realistically infect you.
The only way an STD could be passed from one person to another through gym equipment is if a very nasty pathogen like the hepatitis B virus is deposited on a surface you end up touching with an open wound like a deep cut on your arm. However, even in this unlikely scenario, infection remains incredibly rare.
But what about using towels?
The main concern heard on social media revolves around a very specific scenario: using a towel that has been placed against a surface to wipe your eyes or face.
Even in this scenario, you’re not going to get an STD. It is possible to wipe your eyes with a towel contaminated with bacteria and get conjunctivitis, but this will most likely be caused by non-STD bacteria, such as those found in feces.
Most gyms are cleaned regularly and have an etiquette that requires users to wipe down equipment after use, usually with some kind of disinfectant. Although gyms can be places where you can catch airborne infections like COVID-19, you almost certainly won’t get an STD at the gym unless you have unprotected sex with an infected person.
Final thoughts
If you’re worried about getting an STD at the gym and not having sex, you should be fine. However, if you want peace of mind about having a complete picture of your sexual health, you’ve come to the right place.
Better2Know offers a full range of STD tests for a wide variety of infections, from Chlamydia and HIV to Syphilis and Gonorrhea. Get tested for a single infection or get complete coverage with one of our comprehensive STD screens.
Find out more about how to get tested by calling the number at the top of this page or clicking the button below to make an online booking at a sexual health clinic near you.
Don’t let an STD damage your health. Get a clear picture of your sexual health with Better2Know.
