Hello, today I put a tampon that had a paper wrapper on a slightly wet bathroom sink when I was about to insert it. I washed my hands, opened and inserted it, but then realized that the wet surface of the sink (near the soap dispenser, where I put it) could have leaked through into the cardboard applicator. I'm wondering if I could have caught any STIs or STDs through the water on that sink getting onto the applicator. Is that possible?
Thanks.
STIs require sexual activity to transmit - hence, the sexual transmitted part of sexually transmitted infection.
The only way to get STIs are:
* oral sex - your mouth on someone's genitals, or their mouth on your genitals. Some STIs require penetration, as in the penis being inserted into the mouth.
* direct genital to genital contact - this is unclothed vagina to penis, penis to penis, vagina to vagina contact, or penis to anus contact. If penetration isn't involved, some intense rubbing and grinding without clothes on needs to happen.
* anal sex - penis in the anus penetration, or intense rubbing or grinding of the penis against the anus.
All of these require clothes to be off of all people involved, and condoms reduce the risk of STIs either totally, or significantly, depending on the STI.
I don't know how any STI would get on the sink, or in the water, but none of them survive long enough outside the body long enough to infect you in this way. If the germ hadn't died already, it would have degraded enough to not be able to transmit.
You seem to have some fear around germs, or maybe just what you think are STIs. I'm not sure if you just need some education about this, or a therapist. If it's education - https://www.ashasexualhealth.org/
If it's therapy, please talk to your doctor and get a referral. There is good help out there.