Can you get an STI from gym equipment?

Working out in the gym can seem a lot like sex. Your heart rate’s elevated, hormones are flying all over the place, and you’re probably a bit sweaty by the end of the session.

Lots of bodily fluids get thrown around in the gym. With all these fluids flying around, some people might wonder if it’s possible to get an STI, say, from using gym equipment.

Recent concerns have appeared on social media sites like TikTok surrounding the possibility of getting STIs like Chlamydia from their gym equipment and using items like towels left on certain surfaces. These concerns seemed to focus on how some people use gym equipment without having their genitals completely covered.

So, what’s going on here? Is it possible to get an STI from gym equipment?

Keep reading to find out more.

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What are STIs?

Understanding how STIs are transmitted under normal circumstances helps understand whether you might get one in an environment like a public gym.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) tend to be transmitted between people through sexual activity.

“Sexual activity” includes vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, and sharing sex toys – any activity where infected bodily fluids have the opportunity to come into contact with the mucous membranes in the genitals, rectum, mouth, eyes, and blood.

Mucous membranes are more porous points of entry into your body than the skin. They are the points of entry many pathogens use to enter your system. Infected secretions like semen, precum, vaginal fluids, and blood that carry pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, come into contact with these membranes and establish an infection.

With all that said, some infections can pass between people through foreplay and kissing. HPV and Herpes are great examples of infections that don’t require full sexual intercourse to pass on. Bloodborne infections, like HIV and Hepatitis B, can also infect another person through blood-to-blood contact, like through blood transfusions or sharing needles when injecting drugs.  

How long can certain STIs live outside of the body?

So, if you’re not having sex in the gym, getting an STI while using a treadmill would require a mode of transmission that doesn’t include swapping bodily fluids during the sexual act.

Most pathogens that could spread through sex tend not to live very long outside the body, especially when exposed to the air. Bacteria like Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can only live for a very short period outside the body, likely only a few minutes or hours.

However, some pathogens are more resilient. The virus that causes Hepatitis B, for instance, can live outside the body for several days, increasing the likelihood 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 STI from gym equipment?

The reality is that the likelihood of getting an STI from gym equipment is vanishingly rare. You’re no more likely to get an STI from using gym equipment than you are from using other everyday items that other people use.

Since you’re only using gym equipment, like machines and weights, using your hands, feet, and other parts of your body, it’s almost impossible for someone with an STI to deposit any infected bodily fluids onto a machine that could realistically infect you.

The only way an STI could transfer from one person to another through gym equipment is if a very pernicious pathogen, like the Hepatitis B virus, is deposited onto a surface that you eventually touch with an open wound like a deep cut in your hand. However, even in this unlikely scenario, infection remains incredibly rare.

But what about using towels?

The main concern raised on social media revolves around a very particular scenario: using a towel that has touched a surface to wipe your eyes or face.

Even in this scenario, you’re not going to get an STI. It’s possible to wipe your eyes with a bacteria-infested towel and get conjunctivitis, but this will most likely be caused by non-STI bacteria, like those found in faecal matter.

Most gyms are cleaned regularly and have etiquette that requires users to wipe down equipment after use, usually with some kind of disinfectant. While gyms may be locations where you can catch airborne infections, like COVID-19, you’re almost guaranteed not to get an STI at the gym unless you’re engaging in unprotected sexual activity with an infected person.

Final thoughts

If you’re worried about getting an STI at the gym and you’re not having sex, you should be fine. However, if you want to put your mind at ease by getting a full view of your sexual health, you’ve come to the right place.

Better2Know offers a full range of STI tests for a wide variety of infections, from Chlamydia and HIV to Syphilis and Gonorrhoea. Get tested for a single infection or get full coverage with one of our comprehensive STI 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 create an online booking at a sexual health clinic near you.

Don’t let an STI damage your health. Get a clear view of your sexual health with Better2Know.

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