Not the doctor, but I seriously don't think you have anything to worry about. I imagine that the risk of catching anything is virtually nil... If it were me, I sure wouldn't test or even give this another thought at all.
Thanks Doctor and for your comments monkeyflower. But one last question related to your response--what is the time period one would show symptoms of crabs/scabies? (I mean, how long do I have to keep looking to see if there are any "obvious signs?") This happened about 5 days ago.
And, I take it you don't think I need testing right for the other scary STD stuff? Right?
Thanks for this forum...and, I've learned my lesson from my own stupidity on this one.
Most places have those little plastic liners in bottoms to make it "hygienic". Maybe I'm missing something, but since everyone uses the *same* liner, what's the point? lol.
But still, until I read Dr. Handsfield's response, I would have thought the only thing you could get from trying on underwear might be a lame excuse for bringing home a STD, lol. I have to say the thought of a staph/bacterial infection or even pubic lice was surprising. I guess I assumed any bacteria left on the underwear would have been long dead, or at least in small enough numbers to be essentially risk-free.
Anyway, in the future you could always wear a tiny thong. That's what I do when I try on bikini bottoms, etc. :-)
Allowing shared intimate clothing is at least unesthetic (a big yuck factor to me!) and might be illegal, depending on local laws or regulations. You could call your local or state health department.
Having said that, the actual risk of disease transmissionn is very low. I cannot imagine any standard STD being transmitted that way--certainly no measurable risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, or HIV. But crab lice (crabs) and scabies are at least theoretical possibilities; or if someone had a weeping skin infection due to staph, strep or other bacteria, someone could get infected.
But this is all theoretical. Just shower and keep an eye out for obvious abnormalities, like the itchy red spots of scabies or the nits (eggs) that usually are the first sign of crabs. If you develop those, or are uncertain about the +/- symptoms you now are experiencing, see a health care provider, perhaps a dermatologist. But you definitely should not be obsessing about this.
Good luck-- HHH, MD