Area YMCAs to close saunas, steam rooms

Staff Writer mwingerter@oklahoman.com

YMCA locations in the Oklahoma City area will close their saunas and steam rooms in a little over a week, after a committee decided they could pose a health risk.

The following locations have saunas or steam rooms, which are scheduled to close Aug. 13:

• North Side YMCA, 10000 N Pennsylvania Ave.

• Edward L. Gaylord Downtown YMCA, 1 NW 4

• Midwest City YMCA, 2817 N Woodcrest

• YMCA Healthy Living Center — Integris, 5520 N Independence Ave.

• Bethany YMCA, 3400 N Mueller

Rachel Klein, vice president of communications for the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, said the risk management and property committees determined the steam rooms and saunas had some health risks. There was no specific incident of someone being harmed while using them, she said.

One of the concerns was that users could spread skin infections, Klein said.

“It is very difficult to keep those rooms clean and sanitary,” she said.

Research is sparse on how common it is to spread infections in saunas and steam rooms, but some instances have been documented. A 2000 case study in the Western Journal of Medicine found that bacteria in a steam room caused an outbreak of boils in a small Alaska village. No one was seriously injured in that case.

The floor tiles also can be slick, creating a fall risk, Klein said. The YMCA locations that have steam rooms and saunas don’t have anyone monitoring them to ensure that no one overheats, she said.

Using a sauna or steam room is safe for most healthy people, according to a 2001 article in the American Journal of Medicine, though people with some heart conditions or women with pregnancy complications should avoid it.

Each YMCA location with a sauna or steam room will decide what else should go in the space, Klein said. Members can offer suggestions for the locations they frequent, she said.

“They all have different needs,” she said.