Sexual Health
Can untreated Chlamydia sometimes lead to infertility?
Yes, through complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease.
Can wearing sunscreen help reduce your risk of skin cancer?
Can someone cry bloody tears?
YES! It's called hemolacria.
Can mosquitoes spread every infectious disease, including HIV?
NO! Mosquitoes transmit certain pathogens, but not HIV.
Can eating very spicy food actually burn a hole through a healthy stomach?
NO! Spicy foods can cause discomfort, but they don't ordinarily burn holes in the stomach.
Can the HPV vaccine help prevent cancer?
Yes, it prevents infections associated with several cancers.
Can wearing decorative contact lenses without a prescription put your eyes at risk?
YES! They can cause infections or injuries.
Can a person grow hair on their tongue?
NO, not actual hair! Black hairy tongue occurs when tiny projections on the tongue elongate.
Can someone survive a flesh-eating bacterial infection?
YES! Early emergency treatment, including antibiotics and surgery, can be lifesaving.
Can chewing gum remain in your stomach for seven years?
NO! Gum generally passes through the digestive tract.
Which STI can damage the brain and nervous system if untreated?
Syphilis, which can cause neurosyphilis.
Can sharing a towel spread certain fungal infections?
Yes!Fungi can survive on fabrics, especially when they're damp.
Can someone hear their own eyeballs moving?
YES! Rare inner-ear abnormalities can make normally inaudible body sounds noticeable.
Can a parasite live inside someone's eye?
YES! Certain parasites infect tissue around or inside the eye.
Can leftover rice make you seriously sick even after reheating it?
YES! Bacillus cereus can produce a heat-stable toxin when cooked rice is improperly stored.
Can public Lice live in someone's eyelashes?
Yes! in rare cases.
You wake up with a tick attached to your skin. Should you burn it off?
NO! Remove it with fine-tipped tweezers.
Can your body produce alcohol without you drinking any?
YES! Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare condition where gut microbes produce ethanol.
Can a virus hide in your body for decades before becoming active again?
YES! The chickenpox virus can reactivate as shingles.
Can eating too much of a certain fruit cause symptoms similar to alcohol intoxication?
YES! Overripe or fermented fruit can contain alcohol, although ordinary fruit consumption won't typically cause intoxication.
Can untreateed gonorrhea spread into the bloodstream?
Yes! Although uncommon, it can become a serious infection.
Can eating an improperly canned food cause paralysis?
YES! Botulism toxin can cause muscle paralysis.
Can maggots live inside human wounds?
YES! Certain fly larvae can infest living tissue, a condition called myiasis.
Can certain diseases spread through contaminated human feces?
YES! Cholera, hepatitis A, and norovirus are examples.
Can eating improperly prepared cassava expose you to cyanide?
YES! Cassava naturally contains compounds that can release cyanide if it isn't processed correctly.