Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

• Frequent need to urinate

• The feeling you’ve incompletely emptied your bladder after voiding.

• Burning sensation when urinating

• Urine that appears cloudy with a strong odor

• Blood in the urine

Urinary tract infections are more common in females than in males. Untreated in women, UTIs can lead to a more serious infection which can spread to the kidneys and eventually sepsis.

While less likely to get a UTI, men may sometimes get a calcified stone in their longer, narrower urethra that will cause a UTI. If it spreads to the kidneys and prostate, UTIs in men can also eventually lead to sepsis.

Urethra infection (urethritis) symptoms can include:

• Discharge from the urethra

• Frequent and/or urgent need to urinate

• Difficulty starting to urinate

• Blood in the urine

• Discomfort in the lower belly

• Pain or a burning sensation while urinating

• Frequent urination

• A feeling of having to urinate even when the bladder is empty

People who are more sexually active are more likely to get a UTI. The risk is increased with new sexual partners.

Young children and older adults that have certain bladder conditions or incomplete emptying of the bladder during urination, are more likely to get bladder infections (cystitis).

Menopause and spermicides can cause changes in which types of bacteria are present in the vagina. This can make you more vulnerable to an infection.

Treatments or conditions that affect the immune system (such as diabetes) can make frequent urinary tract infections more likely.

Problems like an enlarged prostate, kidney stones and other urinary tract abnormalities are risk factors for developing UTIs.

Women get UTIs much more frequently than men do. In biological females, the urethra is in closer proximity to the anus. This increases the possibility of exposure to bacteria such as E. coli. The urethra is also shorter in females, meaning bacteria can reach the bladder more easily. This anatomy puts females at a higher risk of getting urinary tract infections.

Sexual activity is one of the primary ways bacteria can enter the urinary tract. Bacteria on the skin, fingers, mouth and genitalia can enter the urethra upon contact. The risk increases if something touches or penetrates the anus and then touches the penis or vagina. This can carry E. coli bacteria to the urethra, where it can enter the urinary tract.

Although sexual activity can aid bacteria in entering the urinary system, UTIs are not considered contagious or sexually transmitted. With that being said, some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause UTIs as a side effect. These STIs, like gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and chlamydia, can be passed between sexual partners.

While you won’t pass on a UTI to your partner, a UTI can make sexual activity uncomfortable or painful. It can also irritate the tissues of the urinary tract, leading to increased discomfort and even pain. Further, sexual activity can introduce more bacteria into the urinary tract, making the infection worse.

To be safest, avoid any form of sexual contact with the area around the urethra while you recover. It’s recommended that you avoid sex until your treatment is finished and your symptoms are gone.

There are several things you can do to help prevent yourself from getting a UTI.

• Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of fluids, especially water, will make you urinate more frequently. This gives bacteria less time to grow before they are flushed from the urinary tract.

• Wipe from front to back. To avoid carrying bacteria from the anus to the urethra, biological females should always wipe from front to back.

• Urinate after sex. This will help flush away any bacteria that was introduced into the urinary tract during sex.

• Avoid genital irritants. Products like douches, powders and deodorant sprays can irritate the urethra when used around the genitals.

• Consider changing birth control methods. Bacterial growth in the urethra is more common with the use of spermicide, unlubricated condoms and diaphragms.