By Robyn Craig
A young woman shared in a now-viral TikTok video that her friends contracted herpes after sharing a hookah.
TikTok user Krystal shared a story time video in which she explained that her friends had gone out to a hookah lounge and woke up the next morning with bumps and sores around their mouths. The four friends shared photos in their group chat and began to question what they could be.
After experiencing increasingly severe bumps over the next few days, TikTok user Krystal suggested that it was likely a herpes outbreak.
This led the group of friends to investigate the cause of this seemingly random outbreak, particularly because the women in the group “don’t sleep around” and “are all single.”
This led them to believe that the hookah they had shared might be the culprit. Krystal emphasized that although they all had different hookah tips, it was not enough to prevent the contraction of herpes from the hookah pipe.
Of course, this scenario caused alarm and panic, particularly in the comment section of TikTok. Many comments simply state “OMG” and “That’s scary.” Although scenarios like this may be rare, it is still important to exercise caution when smoking hookah.
According to an article from 11Alive, there are a few reasons why smoking hookah can be dangerous. According to 11Alive, “If a hookah pipe is not well disinfected, it involves a lot of mouth contact and therefore a potential for sharing fluids.”
TikTok user Krystal also highlighted this concern in her video, stating that “a lot of saliva goes through the pipe.” In addition to herpes, there is a risk of contracting other diseases such as hepatitis C, respiratory viruses, and HIV.
Due to the lack of sanitation standards, it can be easier to contract viruses, especially if the equipment is not properly cleaned between sessions. In the TikTok video, Krystal stated that her friends took over a session from a previous group. Situations like this can put you at risk.
In 2022, a nurse on TikTok, Nurse_Doc, warned people that smoking hookah could lead to serious health consequences, including herpes. She explained that one of the many risks of smoking hookah, particularly when using shared devices, is the transmission of herpes.
While this should not necessarily deter you from visiting hookah lounges altogether, it is crucial to ensure that the establishment you choose follows proper cleaning protocols and sanitizes the hoses after each session.
