Yeah, why is that if you wipe to vigorously and get scratches around your butthole, it doesn't get infected by all the poop ?

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[–] 112 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hank Green asked this about anal fissures and had a bunch of doctors replying. From what I remember your immune system is different in different parts of your body and your body is prepared to handle it down there. Unless your immune system gets compromised then it can get infected.

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  • [–] 29 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Oh yeah, this is also the case with our eyeballs, right? They have their own little immune system in there.

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  • [–] 84 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    Generally "poop bacteria" such as e-coli do not cause skin infections, they thrive in a different environment. Even infections in the anal region are generally caused by skin bacteria such as Staphylococcus.

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  • [–] 46 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Who are you who are so wise in the ways of science? :)

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    We have ourselves a pile of proctologists!

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Beyond skin infections, what happens when they enter your bloodstream? Id figure that'd happen with a broken hemorrhoid, since it's basically and open wound that poop just sits on all day

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Now that is something I've never thought about before and also wish I hadn't read.

    Anyway, I googled it, and hemorrhoids are actually not necessarily open wounds, and if they are, at least the blood is flowing outwards which might hinder the bacteria from getting into the blood stream. The bacteria from the asshole doesn't survive well outside the intestines, so there's a low risk of them crawling back up into an open wound.

    However it does happen, and that could cause blood poisoning, which is potentially lethal if untreated. You'd probably want to treat it though because you'd experience severe fever and other clear signs.

    I'll achieve this knowledge in the "don't worry about it" folder.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    Yeah I've since googled it too! The fact that the symptoms are something where it's obvious there's something severely wrong and that it's treatable in hospital reassured me, too. I've also realised that it's similar to toxic shock from a tampon, which I never worry about, but am glad to know is a small possibility. Sorry to worry you/gross you out though!

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  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    They do. It’s why you have an immune system. You’re literally being attacked millions of times per day but keep it in check.

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  • [–] 33 points 1 year ago

    The gist of it is thicker skin, stronger immune system presence down there, higher blood flow down there.

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  • [–] 30 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Shouldn't this be in lemmy shitpost?

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    The skin on your body isn't uniform; it's at varying textures and thicknesses in different parts, and its absorbency varies in different parts, as well.

    The skin around your anus is very resistant to infection due to its particular mixture of these properties.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    (insert fat joke)

    (also insert insertion-into-rectum joke)

    (also insert rectum-no-dang-near-killed-em joke)

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago

    It can happen. And when it does, it can be horrendously painful and hard to treat.

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  • [–] 22 points 1 year ago* (2 children)
  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    how come my butthole doesn't get infected after I get micro-tears

    Because my oral hygiene is very good.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    What are you wiping with????

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    superhero whos entire body is a butt. never gets diseases

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    Just messaging so I can return and check answers here. I'm curious as well.

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  • [–] 41 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Do you wipe with a cheese grater?

    I don't understand how you are scratching you brown eye when you wipe.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago
    [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Im pretty sure they can if deep enough.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Buy better toilet rolls, quilted ultra soft from good brands. Your butthole will thank you.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Tell that to my workplace. They have the worst toilet paper in there. I won't pass on an opportunity to poop on the job, best possible use of my time.

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  • [–] -1 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    People still not using a bidet in 2025.. smh

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I always forget to bring my bidet with me when I go on a trip!

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    If you're joking, you should buy a portable bidet and keep it in your luggage.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Bidet pulled out of the race late 2024. Read the news.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    home ownership is a faraway dream for a lot of people, and apartments generally won't let you install one :(

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    When the tissue you're wiping with gets torn, you need to use another one, not continue with the torn one.

    Edit: Adding in a /s, in case it was not obvious 🥲

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  • [+] -13 points 1 year ago (22 children)

    You would stop getting butthole scratches if you started using a bidet. Gah. Americans are so gross.

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  • [–] 25 points 1 year ago* (8 children)

    Explain to me how not using a bidet is an American thing? I've traveled to many countries and rarely seen a bidet. I know several Americans who use bidets, myself included. Just got back from Europe actually, where I witnessed zero bidets. Glad I took my portable one.

    Also why are you assuming op is American?

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    Because America is an easy target. Half the country demonstrated beyond doubt that they're too stupid to be in charge of a pet rock. We're low hanging fruit because of that. I can't say I disagree either.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    This is just bizarre and irrelevant.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    They're probably just overall frustrated with the country. Somehow though "stupid politics" means go ahead and insult and generalize the people for random and inaccurate things like not using a bidet.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    I certainly understand being frustrated with the US. I am. It's a piece of shit politically. But yeah it's a weird thing to just randomly accuse any given thing you don't like of being american. Strictly speaking, it's bigotry. But further, it's just stupid.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (11 children)

    bidets are slowly catching on in America! my parents got one like seven years ago, and if I didn't live in an apartment, I'd get one too lol. they're rare (and there's none in most businesses) but eventually we'll get there

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (10 children)

    You can get a bidet that attaches to virtually any toilet for like $30. Pretty easy to install/uninstall in most cases too. Check out Luxe bidets. I've had good luck with them.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    I wanted to get one of these butt my wife said no so that was the end of my dream. I use cottonelle butt wipes like a savage instead 😞.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    If she didn't want a bidet, couldn't she just not use it herself? Why do you have to do without?

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    if they involve the plumbing in anyway, it's not allowed at my apartment, otherwise I'd get one!

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Sure -- you know best for your situation. Just throwing it out there that it's normally just an already-exposed water line that you turn off, flush the toilet, then disconnect and put the bidet inline, then reconnect. So it's not really a high risk thing. See this video if you're interested at all: https://youtu.be/4SDpzj6wTMQ?t=249

    I've installed and uninstalled these things in like 7 apartments now I think :) No one ever told me I couldn't, but if they had I probably would have done it anyway since I'd make sure it was done right and did not leak.

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