URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS (UTIS): PREVENTION
So why are women of reproductive age more likely to get these? Just lucky. There is an anatomical reason. The bladder opening (urethra) is situated very close to the vagina. Bugs are able to climb from the outside world (the skin), up the urethra and into the bladder. Urine is usually sterile (has no bugs in it at all) but is a very good medium for them to grow in. They love it.
If you have sex there is usually friction around the and this makes it more likely that the bugs will enter go to sleep without emptying your bladder the bugs have several hours in which to happily multiply, and you may end up with a UTI.
Special situations. UTIs in women are fairly common. However, a UTI in a child or a man is less common, and should be further investigated. If a child or a man has a urinary tract infection there is a significant chance that there is an underlying abnormality in the plumbing making it more likely to occur. In kids the common one is ureteric reflux, where some of the urine flows back towards the kidneys instead of down the ureters. This needs to be identified and properly treated to avoid damage to the kidneys. In a man it may be that an enlarged prostate is preventing the bladder from emptying. So men and children with a proven UTI should have some investigations (usually ultrasound or x-ray examination of the kidneys and the collecting system) to show if there are any underlying problems.
Women do not generally have further investigation unless they have recurrent UTIs, or complicated ones which fail to respond to antibiotics.
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