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Survey Says People Aren't Washing Their Hands Enough, Especially Men

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - With flu season intensifying, don't forget to wash your hands!

We hear it over and over again from experts saying the practice could reduce the spread of germs, but according to a recent study, not everyone is doing it.

SCA, a paper and personal hygiene company with U.S. headquarters in Center City, Philadelphia surveyed 1,000 American adults last month on hand washing habits. The study found that men don't lather up as frequently as women do.

"Men just aren't as good at washing their hands or as reliable in washing their hands as women are," said Amy Bellcourt, who's with SCA. "They don't wash them as frequently and men report seeing other men not really washing them very often so, men really need to catch up a little bit in order to stay healthy."

Thirty-three percent of men surveyed say they do not wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the public restroom compared to 20-percent of the women.

Sixty-five percent of the women say hand washing is critical compared to 53-percent of the men.

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