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Link Between UTIs and Sex

How to whittle down the link between UTIs and sex.

By Mackenzie Z. KennedyPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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The other day, I was listening to a woman who was decrying the fact that she always got urinary tract infections whenever she'd have a new sexual partner. Honestly, I've been in her shoes. Many girls have been.

Most girls have had UTIs after having sex, and many of them have made the same conclusion that she and I have both made: there's a link between UTIs and sex.

The problem with UTIs is that they are painful, embarrassing, and pricey to treat. UTIs, also known as urinary tract infections, aren't just a painful burning sensation. If left untreated, they can cause kidney failure and even death.

If you're like most women and men out there, you want to prevent that next UTI. Here's how to lower the link between UTIs and sex activity, and hopefully prevent yourself from getting one again.

The link between UTIs and sex is much stronger in women than men.

Women are 10 times more likely than men to get a urinary infection, and much of the reason for that is due to anatomy. A woman's urethra is very close to her anus, and female private parts tend to have a lot more moisture and folds where bacteria can grow.

This, in turn, makes it easier for bacteria to travel to the urinary tract, which, in turn, means that women are more likely to get infected. The link between gender and UTIs is obvious, but there's a reason why UTIs only seem to affect sexually active women that way.

The the link between UTIs and sex is often there because the man's penis or fingers bring bacteria from a woman's anus too close to a girl's urethra. Around 80 percent of all women with a UTI had sex within 24 hours. This makes sense.

Any time that you have sex, you're coming into contact with bacteria. You can't sterilize your body, so even among the cleanest women, there will be rectal bacteria that could poke into your urinary tract. Considering how close a woman's urethra comes to her bladder, it's unsurprising that so many girls will have a UTI at least once in their lives.

While there's definitely a link between UTIs and sex activity, the fact is that you can prevent a UTI fairly easily.

Much of working to get rid of the link between UTIs and sex involves keeping things clean. Doctors suggest doing the following proven techniques to reduce your risk of a UTI during sex:

  • Clean your genital area before and after sex. A simple wipe is enough. Just make sure you wipe front to back, not back to front. Wiping back to front may bring more bacteria to your urinary tract than keep it away.
  • Get him to clean up, too. Sure, you might love his natural musk, but an unwashed man is more likely to cause a UTI than a washed man. It's a health matter—and you really do need to drive home the fact that urinary tract infections suck.
  • Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. Water and body fluids are often what keep bacteria from making it to places it shouldn't go. Drinking eight glasses of water a day can help you reduce UTI infections significantly, according to a number of studies.
  • Pee before and after sex. The old wive's tale of peeing after sex actually is true. This helps push bacteria out of your body and away from it, which, in turn, helps get rid of bacterial infections down there.
  • Don't use diaphragms or spermicide as contraception. Both forms of birth control have been seen to up the link between UTIs and sex. So, you might want to stick to condoms, the pill, or a tubal ligation.
  • Drink cranberry juice. For some reason, the compounds found in cranberry juice tend to reduce the risk of UTIs spreading. So, it's a good investment.

If all else fails and you're still finding yourself getting urinary tract infections after sex, you may need to discuss this matter with a doctor. After all, it could be a sign of a bigger issue that may affect your overall health.

sexual wellnessfact or fictionscience
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About the Creator

Mackenzie Z. Kennedy

Socialite and dating guru Mackenzie Kennedy knows all about the inner workings of people and society as a whole. It's not only her lifestyle - it's her passion. She lives in Hoboken with her pet dogs, Cassie and Callie.

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