As a woman, you can be susceptible to various illnesses and ailments throughout your lifetime.
There are some ailments that will affect women differently than men. In addition, certain medical problems can affect women more than men, such as breast cancer.
A typical ailment that has a tendency to reappear in women is the Urinary Tract Infection, also known as a UTI.
UTIs are serious, uncomfortable infections that can form due to poor hygiene after sex.
Your boyfriend might also be contributing to your UTIs if they also have poor hygiene.
Table of Contents
What are Urinary Tract Infections?
Urinary tract infections are commonly shortened to “UTIs.”
UTIs are an infection that affects the urinary system inside a man or woman. Parts of the body that can become infected due to a UTI include:
- Urethra
- Kidneys
- Bladder
- Ureters
What are the symptoms of UTI?
Both men and women can experience signs and symptoms of UTIs. They can be incredibly painful and can lead to difficulty completing day-to-day activities.
Some common symptoms of UTI include:
- Burning sensation when urinating
- Needing to use the bathroom more often
- Using the bathroom but very little comes out
- Blood in the urine
- Cloudy urine
- Strong-smelling urine
- Pelvic pain in women
- Lower and middle back pain
It’s important to visit a doctor as soon as you notice symptoms. UTIs can spread from the urethra to the kidneys and cause serious damage.
Once the infection reaches your kidneys, it can be very difficult to treat and can even cause kidney failure.
Fortunately, this is extremely rare, and many cases of UTIs can be treated successfully with antibiotics, self-care at home, and with professional medical care.
Why am I getting UTIs and not my boyfriend?
The biggest reason why women get UTIs more common than men is anatomy. A woman’s urethra is located alongside their vaginal opening.
The urethra and the vaginal opening are different, so women cannot pee and have sex from the same areas.
In addition, women’s urethras are also close to the rectum. This makes it easier for bacteria to travel from your anus to your urethra during sex.
On the contrary, men’s urethras carry both semen and urine in and out of the penis.
Your boyfriend’s urethra is not only farther from the anus, but they are much longer and thus make it more difficult for bacteria to settle in the urinary tract and cause an infection.
Due to the longer length of travel, men don’t get as many UTIs as women do.
Are UTIs common?
It’s estimated that one in every five women will experience a UTI at least once in their lifetime. The chances of getting another UTI increase after you’ve had one.
If you have recurrent UTIs, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about medications and lifestyle changes that can help.
If you’ve never had a UTI, you’re in luck.
Women that have never had a UTI are usually practicing certain hygiene and self-care techniques that lower their risk of contracting a UTI.
This is especially true when it comes to self-care and hygiene during and after sex.
Best tips to prevent UTIs
The bacteria that cause UTIs are always living inside of your body.
They can cause UTIs if there are any changes within the pH level of your body or if the bacteria migrate from one area to another. Changing sex partners can also make you more likely to contract a UTI.
Certain factors that can trigger UTIs in women include:
Poor-fitting clothes. If you wear tight jeans and pants, this can put you at risk of developing a UTI. Poor-fitting clothes can cause excess moisture to build up in your vaginal area and inner thighs. This excess moisture can lead to recurrent UTIs. Although your boyfriend loves to see you in tight skinny jeans, or in tight leggings, wearing tight-fitting jeans can cause UTIs to develop. Make sure to wear loose-fitting clothes whenever you’re working out and say no to your boyfriend’s favorite jeans.
Anal to Vaginal Sex: Contrary to popular belief, a UTI is not a sexually transmitted disease. One of the most common causes of UTI from sex is the transition from anal sex to vaginal sex. After anal sex, your boyfriend’s penis can transfer bacteria from your anus to your vagina. The presence of this bacteria in your anus is also one of the reasons women are told to wipe from front to back. This leads to another tip to prevent UTIs.
Wipe From Front to Back: By wiping front to back, you can prevent the spread of bacteria from invading your vaginal area. Although this isn’t an area that your boyfriend might impact, it is something that will affect your overall vaginal and sexual health.
Avoid Taking Long Baths in the Tub: There’s no shame in having a little bit of sexy time in the tub. However, soaking for long periods of time in the tub can make it easier for you to develop a UTI. Switch to having shower sex and take more showers than you do baths. Doing so will help prevent UTIs and allow you to enjoy sex without any added pain.
Pee After Sex: You can admit it, your boyfriend isn’t the cleanest person in the world. Although a UTI isn’t an STD, this doesn’t mean that a UTI can’t be caused by sex. It’s important for women to pee after sex in order to get rid of any germs and bacteria that can be present in the urethra after sex.
Other considerations for UTIs
As we mentioned earlier, it’s important for you to visit a doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of UTIs.
Although you might be able to recover from a UTI quickly or even not have any symptoms, symptoms can turn severe if your UTI is left untreated.
In addition, UTIs can also mimic the signs and symptoms of other STDs. If you notice you’re getting recurrent UTIs, it could be a sign of an STD.
STDs can be dangerous to your health, such as syphilis. Syphilis can cause symptoms similar to UTIs, including burning, vaginal discharge, and itching.
Syphilis can cause debilitating effects to the body, known as secondary syphilis.
This condition can actually be fatal and can cause neurological conditions such as seizures, fevers, confusion, delirium, and ultimately death.
If you’re experiencing severe symptoms in your vaginal area that aren’t going away, don’t write it off as a simple UTI.
Visit your doctor as soon as possible so you can get the proper diagnosis and get the treatment you need for your UTI.
Final thoughts
UTIs are a common condition that most women will experience at least once in their lifetime.
However, although UTIs are common, this doesn’t mean that they can’t negatively impact your health or life.
Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes, speaking with your boyfriend, and making healthy decisions such as visiting a doctor can help prevent you from getting UTIs.
