The low-quality toilet paper used by Iowa State could be more than an annoying discomfort for some students.

ISU physicians say using poor-quality toilet paper could be a health risk.

Marc Shulman, staff physician at the Thielen Student Health Center, said it is possible to get a condition called pruritis ani through use of lower-quality toilet paper.

“Coarse paper may cause problems by wiping off the oils and causing irritation,” he said. “Literally translated, it means ‘itching around the anus.”

Shulman said he wouldn’t be quick to recommend that Iowa State change the toilet paper it uses on campus, though, because not everyone is susceptible to the condition.

“It’s one of those things that would help some people, but I don’t know if it would overall,” he said. “It’s not as good of quality that you would use at home, but its still good enough to clean the area.”

He added said a lot of irritation that comes from using bad toilet paper comes from using too much, and offered some advice as to how to use the toilet paper more effectively.

“Use as little as possible, and do not continue to scrub the area because that will cause irritation,” he said.

Shulman did not say how many students have visited the health center with this problem.

Art Templin, senior in civil engineering, wrote a letter to the Daily last week on the subject of poor-quality toilet paper on campus, and said in an interview that he thinks the university should take a good look at the toilet paper it uses and make a change to better quality.

“It’s just pretty ridiculous that we pay all this money for tuition and we can’t get a simple luxury such as that,” he said.

Templin said he would be in favor of getting better toilet paper even if it meant spending more in tuition.

“It’s probably a matter of a dollar or less per student that would be needed to get better quality of toilet paper,” he said. “I’m sure it is minuscule. It’s not going to matter; it’s a simple luxury that the university should be willing to absorb.”

Mark Nelson, a program coordinator for Facilities Planning and Management, said he didn’t have exact numbers for how much Iowa State spends on toilet paper.

“It’s a boatload, though, I’ll tell you that,” he said

Toilet paper prices vary greatly, with prices ranging from 17 cents per roll to 31 cents per roll, depending on quality, at Hy-Vee, 640 Lincoln Way.

Even until the university decides to change toilet paper, Templin said the toilet paper isn’t enough to keep him from using the facilities on campus if he has to, but he wouldn’t look forward to it.