STIs & sexual health
Can you get an sti from a toilet seat?
STIs are not spread by sitting on a toilet seat, sharing a towel, or sharing a bathroom. They spread through sexual contact and through blood, such as shared needles. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are passed by genital, anal or oral contact; herpes and HPV need skin-to-skin contact with an infected area.
What this does and does not tell you
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Only a clinician can examine you, take your history and run tests. The same symptom has different causes in different people.
If something is sudden, severe, or getting worse quickly, get medical advice rather than reading on.