Myth: Recently, some netizens posted that flat warts were found on the neck after soaking in the hot spring, which was caused by HPV infection in the hot spring.
Truth: People don't get genital warts or flat warts just because they soak in hot springs. Without contact with each other, there is no human papillomavirus (HPV), which can easily cause cervical cancer and genital warts.
There are more than 100 types of HPV viruses in nature, and only a small fraction of them infect humans. Some of them mainly infect** and cause common warts, filiform warts, flat warts, plantar warts, etc.; The other part mainly infects mucosal tissues, among which low-risk types (such as HPV-6 and HPV-11) mainly cause genital warts, while high-risk types (such as HPV-16, HPV-18, etc.) may cause cervical cancer, ** cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, etc. in women.
HPV is mainly transmitted through contact between **, especially sexual transmission is the main cause of genital warts. After leaving the human body, the survival time of the HPV virus in the daily life environment is very short, even if there is a virus on the surface of the object, it does not mean that it can be effectively transmitted. It is difficult for the HPV virus to survive in hot springs, and there is not enough amount to infect human intact **, so the probability of contracting HPV in hot springs is also very low.
How to soak in hot springs with peace of mind? First of all, if there is a trauma **especially in the intimate area**, or if the woman is in her menstrual period, it is not recommended to go to the hot springs. Secondly, it is necessary to choose a hot spring with a clean and hygienic environment and a spring quality rating, and it is best to choose an independent pool. Rinse your body in time after bathing in a public pool, and wipe your body with a clean special bath towel. Finally, if you find that there is a wound after soaking in the hot spring, treat it immediately and do not scratch.
The following groups of people should not soak in hot springs: the elderly with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, emphysema, anemia; Patients with severe arteriosclerosis and those with poorly controlled long-term hypertension; Women who are in their menstrual period, people with hot spring allergies; People with wounds, ulcers and severe infections, people with contagious diseases. In addition, children, pregnant women, diabetics and people with allergies should not soak in the hot springs for a long time.
*: From the January 2024 edition of Science's Myth List.