CIRCULAR related information a number sexual disease which is said to be transmitted through the use of public toilets. One of them is human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the virus that causes cervical cancer.
So what is HPV and can it really be transmitted by using a toilet seat in a public bathroom?
HPV is a virus that causes genital warts and cancer, which can be spread through sexual activity. HPV can attack anyone, both men and women.
HPV is often experienced by adolescents and young adults who have active sex, particularly in men aged 20 to 24 and women aged 16 to 19.
The spread of HPV can not only occur through sexual activity, there are also several risk factors for the infection. Starting from sharing personal items, such as towels, handkerchiefs or socks, the immune system is weak, such as people with HIV/AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy, not maintaining proper hygiene, one of which is hygiene or l toilet hygiene.
The HPV virus lives in skin surface cells that enter through the cracks in the skin. The spread of HPV infection can occur through direct contact with the patient’s skin.
Most HPV viruses cause warts on the skin, while others can enter the body through sexual intercourse. Pregnant women can also pass this virus to their babies during childbirth.
HPV virus infection usually causes no symptoms. However, in some cases, this virus can persist and cause symptoms in the form of wart growths on the surface of the skin, such as the arms, legs, face and genitals.
Can HPV be transmitted through a toilet seat?
Reporting from Click Doctor page, Dr. Theresia Rina Yunita explained that the chance of spreading cervical cancer due to HPV through toilet seats is very small.
Even so, he said, transmission could occur if a person with cervical cancer from HPV occupies a toilet seat. Meanwhile, there are wounds in the area around the buttocks or thighs of other people who use it.
“If the toilet is not cleaned, the next user will be at risk of HPV infection, although the chance is very small. You see, the very nature of the virus cannot survive for long on inanimate objects,” explained Dr. Theresa.
Judging by the Healthline report, approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases are caused by infection with the two types of HPV.
Meanwhile, the rest are triggered by infection with HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58. These HPV lines can be transmitted through skin contact.
