If you tend to hover awkwardly when you visit public toilets, you're likely doing it for health and hygiene purposes, right?

Well, what if we told you that this habit actually leaves you vulnerable to ill health?

Writing for Healthista, NHS physician, Dr Preethi Daniel, aims to dispel the myths which circulate around the use and safety of public restrooms.

Acknowledging the habit many women have, Dr Daniel asserts: "All that squatting and hovering we do to avoid touching the toilet seat, and the mad rush we are in to get out of the toilet cubicle are what can give us a urine infection."

"By not emptying your bladder completely, in a rush or if you are squatting, you are exposing your body to potentially harmful bacteria," she adds.

And for those of you who believe your chances of contracting disease are multipled ten-fold every time you slide the lock across the door of a public toilet, Dr Daniel is here to assuage your fears.

"You are more likely to be struck by lightning whilst riding a flying pig than catching a sexually transmitted disease from a public toilet seat, so please don’t worry," she writes.

"To contract these diseases the germs would have to be directly transferred from the toilet seat to your genital tract, or through an open wound or sore on your legs or buttocks."

Insisting that there exists no medical evidence which supports the theory that an individual can contract a disease from a public toilet, she then provides three handy tips for the more concerned among us.

From laying paper on the toilet seat before hand to thoroughly washing your hands and applying anti-bacterial gel in the aftermath, these three tips are all you need.