Fact Check: Can bathing within two minutes of intercourse prevent STDs?

Hyderabad: An article on a ‘news’ website Empire News claimed that studies have found a link between cleanliness and STD prevention.

According to the article, “Researchers at the prestigious Harvard Medical Centre have discovered a link between cleanliness and STD prevention. According to Dr Richard Long, after sex with a partner of ‘unknown STD status,’ a regular shower using soap, hot water, and regular shampoo and conditioner, can completely wash away any and all sexually transmitted diseases.”

“Basically, it’s really quite simple,” said Long. “If you’re happily humping away with some boy or some girl whose sexual history you don’t know, or who you cannot completely trust to be telling you the truth, just immediately go and take a hot shower after intercourse. If you can manage to get into the shower within two minutes of orgasm, you are nearly 100 per cent likely to wash away any STDs you may have been at risk of contracting.”

Is that true? Let’s fact-check.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false as the viral article was created just for entertainment with no hint of facts.

First of all, what is STD? “Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are very common. Millions of new infections occur every year in the United States. STDs pass from one person to another through vaginal, oral, and anal sex,” CDC explained.

We started our investigation with a web search to find the Harvard medical centre study the article is talking about but could not yield any relevant study. On closely analysing the About section of the website, we found that it is clearly mentioned that Empire News is intended for entertainment purposes only. The website explained that the website and social media content use only fictional names except in the case of public figures and celebrity parodies or satire.

Moreover, it should be noted that no amount of bathing or frequent bathing can after sex can prevent STIs. People usually relate hygiene or cleanliness with STD but in reality, STD transmission acts far beyond that.

According to an article in Planned Parenthood, “Getting or not getting an STD isn’t a sign of how “clean” or “not clean” you are. And bathing after sex doesn’t prevent STDs, but condoms, internal condoms, and dental dams do.”

Noteworthy, it is good to wash your hands before touching your partner’s genitals and also to wash your hands before touching your own genitals, mouth, or eyes to avoid passing sexual fluids.

A few ways to avoid getting STDs involve embracing the use of condoms, and dental dams and knowing the sexual health history of your partner or partners.