Study: 'Fairer' sex has dirtier hands!

Nov 20, 2008 (Tahlequah Daily Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WMT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Let's say you just finished lunch.

Did you wash your hands?

Does it matter?

Oh, and by the way, are you male or female?

According to a recent study by biochemists at the University of Colorado, overall, everyone has more bacteria on his or her hands than the scientists originally believed. But women have a greater variety than men, despite the sexist assumption that women are the "fairer" sex.

Researchers took samples from the palms of 51 college students, and identified 4,742 species of bacteria overall, with the average hand harboring 150 different species.

Yuck, right?

The Press polled a number of local women, and asked them who they believed would harbor the most bacteria, women or men. The opinions were evenly split.

"I certainly think women have a chance for more bacteria on their hands due to the fact that they do so many needed and nasty tasks that men take care of less often," said Beth Herrington. "For example, cleaning up bodily messes made by babies, children and the elderly in women's loving care; processing foods; working as waitresses, nurses and teachers of small children -- there are statistically more women than men in these professions -- and generally being conditioned from childhood to 'clean up the mess you made."

Samantha Laperche is a local mother, and agrees with Herrington.

"[It's] no surprise to me that the women had the dirty hands," she said. "I know I do most of the housework, run around in public taking care of errands, and even though I'm a big hand washer, you can't wash your hands every time you get in and out of your car."

Joyce Rose was shocked to learn of the study's outcome.

"It sounds strange that women's hands are dirtier than men's," she said. "I know for a fact and from research that men do not wash their hands as often or as well as women do. The bacteria on hands from not washing after bathroom use is certainly worse for men. Again, research proves this."

Angela Morgan agrees with Rose, and believes the study may have ended with different results had it been conducted in Oklahoma, instead of Colorado.

"I am surprised, I thought it would have been men," she said. "In this part of the country, I have grown up watching men engage in a number of rugged outdoor activities, such as hunting and construction work."

Regardless of their opinions, it turns out, all four women were wrong as to why women have more bacteria. It has very little to do with work, and everything to do with skin conditions, researchers believe.

Noah Fierer, lead researcher and assistant professor in Colorado's department of ecology and evolutionary biology, suggested the reason may have to do with the acidity of the skin. Rob Knight, biochemist and co-author said men generally have more acidic skin than women.

Other possibilities for the variation are gender difference in sweat and oil gland production, frequency of moisturizer and cosmetic application, hormone production and skin thickness.

Women may also have more bacteria living under their skin, which cannot be removed by standard hand washing.

Kate Kelly is a self-confessed "germaphobe," and takes extra precautions during the flu season.

"This time of year, everyone is bound to have picked up some germs somewhere," said Kelly. "I've become somewhat of a germaphobe, to the point of washing my hands countless times every day. The first thing when I get home is wash my hands. I use the wipes for the handrails on the grocery carts at Reasor's and am very glad they have them available. I carry my own pen and use it, and not pens that are just on a counter."

After discovering they may have dirtier hands than once thought, local respondents offered tips on how they keep their hands, ahem, clean.

"My family does have a well-known rule in our house, and the kids do ti without even being told nowadays, because I have drilled it into them for years," said Laperche. "After we return home from a grocery shopping run, or just any retail shopping trip, before we unload the groceries, we go inside and wash our hands."

Laperche had a colorful way of explaining why this was an important task.

"[I tell them] 'Remember that grocery cart we used? Think about all those people you saw in Wal-Mart, and all of the things they've touched," said Laperche. "[They've] gone to the bathroom, and maybe didn't wash their hands, changed diapers and probably didn't wash their hands, picked their nose, and who knows what else! They all agreed with a loud, 'eww!' So we always wash our hands. That's our one especially obsessive/compulsive tradition."

Similarly, Morgan is a diligent hand-washer.

"I have anti-bacterial hand wash in my home to use at every sink," she said. "I always carry a purse-size anti-bacterial hand gel with me in a scent that goes with the season. I always use it when I'm at any event where I shake hands with people, such as church and especially this time of year during flu season. To me, it helps bring peace of mind."

To see more of the Tahlequah Daily Press or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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