Are stys contagious

Answer 1

A sty forms when bacteria that normally lives on the skin gets up into the tear duct. If the stye progresses to discharge phase (pus), then that may cause conjunctivitis that spreads via contact. In short, you can't "give" someone a stye BUT the discharge material CAN transfer the infection to another person.

For example, a grade school child gets a sty. He rubs his eye, which contaminates his hand. He borrows a classmate's marker. The other child uses it too, and happens to rub her face and eye. Her eye(s) can now become infected.