Women have more germs and bacteria on their hands then men. According to a new study women actually do have (more) cooties in the form of germs and bacteria living on their hands.
Researchers aren’t quite sure why women harbor a greater amount of bacteria then men. Some possible reasons include: men have more acidic skin than women, differences in sweat and oil gland production, moisturizer and cosmetic applications, skin thickness, hormone production and the fact that women may have more bacteria living under the surface of the skin. And I thought women always washed their hands after using the bathroom, maybe that isn’t quite the case?
The team used gene sequencing techniques and found that the average hand harbored at least 3,000 different bacteria in over 150 different. 150 different species! That is a lot of bacteria on one hand. Researchers compared the left hand to the right hand and found that the two usually share about 17% of the same bacteria types. Rob Knight was among the researches and he emphasized that ”the vast majority of the bacteria we have on our body are either harmless or beneficial . . . the pathogens are a small minority.”
It is no secret that the human hand contains an entire universe of bacteria but why are people washing their hands less regularly? The fourth annual Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) Clean Hands Report Card reported that fewer Americans are regularly washing their hands. Cleaning your hands regularly throughout the day can prevent colds and the flu as well as keeping you out of the doctor’s office.
