What is the term... germaphobic? The practice is to run water into the pail, pulling out the water to wet or rinse you off. Of course, if the concern is more so for the water, think again.
Most of the spa's work in a high humidity environment. There is a greater chance of you getting something from the mold spores hidden but dispersed through the Heating and Ventilation system they anything else. – The following was taken from http://www.toxic-black-mold-info.com/moldhealth.htm
High humidity - If you live in an area with high humidity, then you should always be on the lookout for potential mold problems. Naturally, the outdoor humidity affect indoor humidity levels, creating a perfect environment for toxic mold growth.
A relative humidity (RH) level of greater than 55% promotes the growth of mold and other fungi. (more about relative humidity). Although relative humidity remains fairly consistent outdoors, it fluctuates drastically inside as a result of being altered by the artificial heating and cooling (i.e. climate control by the HVAC system).
- Legionnaires disease ring a bell? (Legionellosis is an infection caused by species of the bacterium Legionella, most notably L. pneumophila. At least 46 species and 70 serogroups have been identified. L. pneumophila, an ubiquitous aquatic organism that thrives in warm environments (32°- 45°C) causes over 90% of Legionnaires Disease in the United States)
Or possibly the table itself. While they may show you a concern for hygiene by rinsing it off, do you really think is rinses every last remaining drop of water the last guy was laying in?
How about the floor? Do you walk around bare foot from the massage room to the shower and back? Well, if you thought that was athletes’ foot, think again - it could be worse.
Of course your not likely to kiss the girls are you? Doing that is much worse then anything else as what can be transmitted orally just from a kiss would probably make you pass out.
OK, here it is, I've been going to some of these spa's for a couple of years. I have to pass a physical 2 times a year where I work - they test everything. So far, since hobbying at least, I've passed all tests. However, in the years before hobbying I contracted Chlamydia - 2 times with a civie who probably didn't know they had it until I told them. Of course that is treatable, but not something you would want to bring back to your SO or GF.
Chlamydia –
Incidence and Prevalence
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chlamydia is the most common bacterial infection in the United States. The CDC estimates that 3 million new cases occur each year; however, because as many as 75% of infected women and 50% of infected men do not experience symptoms, only about 500,000 cases are reported annually.
Chlamydia is most prevalent among teenagers. Nearly 75% of all new cases occur in women under the age of 25. By age 30, 50% of sexually active women have been exposed to chlamydia. NGU is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted disease in men in the United States.
Causes
Bacteria are spread through direct sexual contact involving the genitals, anus, or mouth. Several types of bacteria cause NGU and many are undetectable during diagnosis. The most common are Chlamydia trachomatis (causes 50% of cases), Mycoplasma genitalium, and Ureaplasma urealyticum.
-- Modified on 11/18/2005 2:58:05 PM
