Women may consider an alternative contraceptive regimen if they experience UTIs after intercourse. Use of spermicides with or without barrier contraceptives has been shown to increase the risk of urinary tract infections in sexually active women. “Your partner’s anatomy can act as a ladder for infection of the urethra with bacteria that usually live in the bowel,” said Dr. Sexual intercourse (or intercourse-like activity) indeed can be a strong trigger for a UTI, as can any activity that has the potential for putting infection-causing bacteria near the urethra. However, as men age and begin to empty their bladders less efficiently due to prostate enlargement, urinary tract infections can become more common.Ī trigger for UTIs in both men and women is use of any medical instrument near the urethra, including a catheter to drain urine. This is because their longer urethras present a challenge to bacteria entry. Men are not immune to UTIs, but they are less likely to have them.
Without these good bacteria, the “bad” bacteria can more easily flourish in postmenopausal women. But when estrogen drops during menopause, the pH of the vagina changes, and the good flora cannot thrive there as easily. Until menopause, vaginal flora (microbes that normally live in the vagina) includes protective bacteria. Dielubanza.Īnother trigger particular to women is hormonal change with age. “In truth, being female is simply the strongest risk factor for UTIs,” says Dr. The short length of the female urethra places its opening close to bacterial reservoirs (the anus and vagina), making women more vulnerable to infection. UTIs generally are caused by bacteria that live in the colon, especially the rectum. “But studies have shown there is no association between these practices and UTIs.” Truth: Being female is the biggest risk factor for UTIs “A lot of women express concern about these,” said Dr. They’re also not caused by wearing tight clothes. But UTIs are not caused by how you wipe in the bathroom, by tampon use or by failing to empty your bladder after sexual intercourse. You may have heard that certain hygiene practices are risk factors for UTIs, particularly for women. Myth: Hygiene habits and clothing fit contribute to UTIs
Here she addresses some other common myths and truths about UTIs.
Contrary to a common assumption among patients, the smell or appearance of urine by itself is not a reliable measure of infection, said Dr. These may be signs that your body may be fighting more than an uncomplicated UTI. When should you call your doctor?Īn immediate visit to a physician is warranted if you have a fever, flank pain, flu-like symptoms, or four-smelling vaginal discharge. Antibiotics may relieve symptoms shortly after you begin taking them. “Our bodies sometimes can clear these infections on their own,” said Elodi Joy Dielubanza, MD, a urologist in Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Division of Urology.īut if symptoms do not get better within a couple of days, contact a doctor. Typically, these symptoms are burning pain with urination, urgency and frequency of urination, and pain above the pubic bone. What are symptoms of a UTI?įor patients, the first question is when to see a doctor after feeling the initial symptoms. More commonly, though, infections involve the lower urinary tract: the bladder (where urine is stored) and the urethra tube that empties urine. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infections in women.Ī UTI can occur anywhere along the urinary tract, including in the kidneys and along the tubes (ureters) that connect the kidneys to the bladder.
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