Doctor responds after people said they contracted chlamydia from gym equipment

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A doctor has weighed in after panicked gym-goers claimed they contracted chlamydia from exercise equipment.

The viral complaint first surfaced on TikTok after user @grinny45 said he wiped his eye with a towel that was placed on the seat.

He visited the doctor complaining of pink eye but tests allegedly showed it to be chlamydia.

The user was shocked as he hadn’t been sexually active, but when the doctor asked if he worked out often, to which he responded yes, he was told: “Chances are someone has sweated on the seat you put your gym towel [on], [you] wiped your face and [got] pink eye.”

However, another medical professional, Dr. Joe Whittington, who has millions of followers across social media, offered a different diagnosis.

“Can you really get chlamydia from gym equipment?” he asks in an Instagram reel.

“Well, we all know it’s primarily spread through doing the deed, not through casual contact or touching surfaces,” the ER doc said.

“So unless you’re doing something very unusual with those gym machines, you’re safe.”

According to Health Canada, chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STI in the country, noting that it is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Its spread often occurs because more than 50% of infected males and 70% of infected females have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition, the agency added.

While the bacteria from someone with chlamydia cannot survive outside the body long enough to stick to towels or seats, Dr. Joe did warn of other things that could potentially be passed on through surfaces at the gym.

“You do have to worry about MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureu, a bacteria that causes infections in different parts of the body), ringworm and skin warts, so make sure you wipe down the equipment before you use it.”

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In Dr. Joe’s Instagram reel caption, he also mentioned “fungal infections like athlete’s foot or ringworm” that could be spread.

“Dirty gym equipment can harbour harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi that can cause a range of infections,” he noted, adding that “cleaning equipment before use and washing hands after workouts can help reduce these risks.”

“If gym-goers touch contaminated surfaces and then their face, they may even risk illnesses like the common cold or flu.”

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