Our Obsession With Germs — Unnecessary, but Potentially Hilarious
May 9, 2008 by Kristen King
Filed under Women's Health
There’s a great post over at Wired Science that issues a call for funny stories about germophobia. Germophobia, or fear of germs, is running rampant these days in the face of new superbugs and easily spread illnesses like SARS. Simply put, people are freaking out. We’re obsessed not only with germs, but also the wide array of antibacterial cleaning and personal care products that are filling the shelves of major retailers. While it’s definitely smart to be aware of situations that could put you at risk of contracting a serious illness, there’s such a thing as overkill.
For example…
- A woman who coated an orange with hand sanitizer before peeling and eating it.
- A man who won’t sit on someone else’s chair without putting paper over it first.
- People who have designated towels in the household that are just for them.
Some cases of germophobia are linked to psychiatric diagnoses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but others are the result of ignorance. Do you have any germ-related habits? Any funny or not-so-funny stories about germs? Leave a comment.
Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King
Tags: womens health blog, womens health, women, woman, health, germophobia, germaphobia, fear of germs, antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, funny stories, OCD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, lively women, kristen king
This kills me! I don’t sanitize my child’s life and you know what? He’s insanely healthy. He gets a few colds a year, tops. His immune system has had a chance to develop and he resists most of the crap he comes in contact with.
I let him play in the play area at the mall, eat without washing his hands first, use the cool race car/bus grocery carts, and play with communal toys at daycare.
What exactly are people so afraid of?
I actually like the idea of having personal towels in the household. I’m always really annoyed when people use “my” towel. I know everything gets clean in the wash but it still drives me bonkers.
My freshman year in college (and law school) anytime someone was sick around me I would immediately disinfect everything in my room (apartment) and take some medicine. I absolutely hate being sick.
And my family taught my younger nephew to “cover his mouth” when he’s coughing and sneezing well before he was walking and talking. And to this day I’m amazed at the older kids I encounter who just spread their germs everywhere and don’t even bother to cover up.
My mom takes it one step too far. No one is allowed to throw tissue away. Each one has to be flushed immediately. Because apparently there are germs just floating up from the trashcan into the air. It absolutely annoys me, but I guess we all have our little things.