I live on a college campus and have noticed many people do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom! I was so shocked, I confronted one of my friends. She replied: "If I don't get anything icky on my hands, I just rinse them withOUT soap. If my hands do get 'dirty,' I wash them with soap." Is her handwashing philosophy correct? Does rinsing your hands withOUT soap do any good?

I have looked through your archives but have not found an answer to my question. I was diagnosed and treated for chlamydia about a month and a half ago. Do I need to get rid of any sex toys I have? Is it possible to become reinfected by using a sex toy that you used while you were infected if you wash it before using it? Please help me find the answer to my question. I really need to know ASAP! Thank you in advance.

Some of my family members insist on using the same towel for drying themselves perhaps 2 or more times before washing the towel. They claim that dirt and germs are washed off during bathing and that using the same towel and rehanging it to use several more times is not unhealthful.... I disagree and say the towel then becomes bacteria infested and when they re-use it to dry themselves that they are putting this bacteria on their bodies. Thanks for looking at this.

My partner is always getting colds, sinus infections, and other nasties during cold and flu season. I've seen him through strep throat, stomach flu, and 16 months of sinus infection flare-ups. It's important to me to take care of him when he's ill, and I know he appreciates the help, but during the school year I get nervous about the risk to my own health and the potential for missing classes/work. What are some ways (short of wearing a mask...) to keep myself from catching all of his bugs without leaving him sick, sad, and lonely?

Why is your favorite food very tasteless when you have a cold?

So I'm wondering some stuff about mpox. Why is mpox being spoken about as if it's a gay STD? Mpox can be spread through nonsexual contact and fomite transmission, according to health authorities, and many other diseases such as the flu and corona can be obviously spread through sexual intercourse (via close contact). Additionally, according to the CDC, Ebola can be spread through semen of a previously infected male a while after recovery while not symptomatic (which appears to be unlike mpox in which it's only spread while actively symptomatic and, although mpox is extremely severe, it doesn't last for more than several weeks) but Ebola isn't thought of as a STD (and of course Ebola can obviously be spread through nonsexual as well as sexual contact) just like corona and the flu among many other diseases. Yet mpox is basically now thought of as being a STD — and a gay STD at that — whereas other diseases that also spread through nonsexual means like mpox aren't. This is very concerning to me both because it would be contributing to ineffective containment measures which would let mpox continue spreading and because it could lead to an increase in discrimination against an already marginalized demographic. What's going on here?

I love sushi, sashimi, and oysters on the half shell. I apparently am uneducated (ignorant) when it comes to the health risks associated with eating raw seafood. I read in an article that a person could contract hepatitis A and worms. Is hepatitis A something that is "curable"? Are ANY of the diseases/problems associated with eating raw fish NOT "curable?"

I've been hearing a lot on the news about the new virus [novel coronavirus, COVID-19] and I'm seeing students on campus wearing masks. The news seems to have conflicting information and I'm not sure what to do. Should I be worried? Do I need to wear a mask too? Thank you.

Can I use deodorants on my penis?