Being a woman puts you at increased risk for urinary tract infections. But some women are even more susceptible to this potentially serious condition. The female anatomy is often to blame.
If you are a woman, you are at greater risk for developing a UTI (urinary tract infection) simply because of the way your body is constructed.
“Being a woman is itself a risk factor, simply because of the anatomy of the urethra,” says Angelo E. Gousse, MD, professor of urology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Indeed, one in five women will get a UTI in her lifetime, partly because the opening to the urinary tract, known as the urethral opening, is close to the opening of the anus and the vagina, where lots of bacteria congregate. The bacterium E. coli, found in fecal matter, accounts for 80 percent to 90 percent of all infections in the urinary tract.
Additionally, the urethra itself, which is the tube that leads from the bladder to the outside of the body, is short — 1.5 inches in women compared to 8 inches in men — making it more likely that bacteria will get into the bladder.
UTI: Other Risk Factors
Full Gali Video Adult comedy only for 18 + Like || Share || Spread || Love Enjoy & stay connected with us! Disclaimer: I don't hold any copyrights of the songs, ...
WE RECOMMEND THE VIDEO: Full Gali Video Adult comedy only for 18 +
- Tends to wait too long to empty her bladder, allowing bacteria to grow in the urine being stored there.
- Uses a diaphragm, which can cause microscopic “trauma” to the vagina and the urethra, making the area more vulnerable to bacterial growth.
- Uses spermicidal foam (or if her partner uses condoms with spermicide), which can change the composition of bacteria in her vagina, making it easier for harmful bacteria to grow.
- Has an impaired immune system (caused by HIV, advanced cancer, or diabetes, for example), which diminishes her body’s ability to fight bacteria.
- Uses a urinary catheter (a tube inserted into the urethra for medical reasons) for a long period of time, where bacteria can grow.
- Has a kidney stone or other condition that blocks the outward flow of urine, which also can encourage bacterial growth.
- Is pregnant. There is conflicting wisdom as to whether pregnant women are actually more susceptible to UTIs. What is clear is that pregnant women are more susceptible to possible complications from a UTI: Hormonal changes encourage the dilation of the ureters, where the infection can move from the bladder into the kidneys, and then into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the infection can be passed on to the unborn baby, resulting in premature labor and low birth weight.
- Is menopausal and lacking estrogen, which can affect elasticity of the bladder and urine flow and can also enhance bacterial growth.
- Is sexually active. Increased frequency of sex, vigorous vaginal intercourse, and woman-on-top sexual positions can all increase the risk of UTI.
“During sexual intercourse, bacteria present in the vagina are more easily transferred to the urethra and the urinary tract,” says Dr. Gousse. “We don’t know exactly why. We think it’s related to trauma to the local areas.” Bacteria can enter the vagina and then be transferred to the urinary tract. The sexual act itself also can damage the urethra, rendering the area more open to bacteria.
“Many women develop their first urinary tract infection when they become sexually active,” says Gousse. “They get what we call ‘honeymoon cystitis,’ which is from trauma, if you will, to the vaginal canal. Some women, almost every single time they have intercourse vaginally, they develop a urinary tract infection.”
UTI: Some Women Are More Susceptible
New research suggests that some women may be at even greater risk of UTI and recurrence — not because of anything they do or don’t do, but because bacteria may be more likely to collect in the walls of their bladder and be particularly difficult to treat and eradicate. Other studies show that some women have especially friendly “receptor sites” along the urethra, where bacteria like to collect, which can cause recurrent infections.
Results of these UTI studies are preliminary, but researchers are coming closer to understanding the root cause of UTIs, particularly recurrent UTIs. UTI recurrence is fairly common, with about one in five women having a second UTI. Thirty percent of those will have another, and 80 percent of those will have yet another.
“We never understood why women continue to have these infections,” says Gousse. “Now we are beginning to understand.”