Can you catch an STD or STI this way?

[ShariahDalyssia]

Hello, I’m 22 years old and I got tested for stds and stis and I have never had one. I am health conscious though, I live in an apartment with three females and we use the same laundry machines, now sadly enough our underwear looks alike and sometimes someone leaves underwear behind in the washer or socks and I don’t notice until after I have done my laundry in the same washing machine. By this time, my clothes have washed with their clothes or underwear in this case. Long story short, if my clothes wash with someone’s underwear can I catch an STD or sti??? From the spread of germs by any chance?? I know it’s been washed but I use regular laundry detergent nothing really strong against stds like bleach or anything . It’s equivalent to soap and hot water really, but the soap is my laundry detergent. Thanks. And also, can you catch anything by accidentally putting on someone’s washed underwear?? It is four girls by the way including myself and things can get mixed up...

[GuitarRox]

No, this would not result in getting an std/sti.  You are safe from that sharing a washing machine. For the most part, sexually transmitted diseases require sexual activity or skin to skin contact in order to transmit.  So, not to worry that underwear coming out of a washing machine belonging to someone else would give you an std.  

[ShariahDalyssia]

Thank you! Even if you’ve accidentally put them on? I’m still safe especially cause they’ve been washed? And don’t germs die after they are exposed to air?

[auntiejessi]

Yes, you are safe. Even if you put them on dirty, so long as they'd been exposed to air, you'd be fine. Since they've been washed, in any kind of detergent, it's perfectly safe.