Why pee after sex? Prevention of urinary infections and intimate health
Publicado: 2025-03-28 15:26:22
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Why do women's health and hygiene guides say you should pee after sex? We will explain to you what peeing after sex has to do with UTIs and your bladder.
Why should I pee after sex?
It's always a good idea to pee after sex. It is especially beneficial for women's health and you will understand why...
Urinary tract infections
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that occurs in any area of the urinary system, such as the bladder, urethra or kidneys. A urinary tract infection usually occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. If your urinary tract's natural defenses fail, bacteria can grow and cause an infection.
What are the risk factors for urinary tract infections?
UTIs occur more commonly in women. Some specific things that increase women's risk of getting UTIs include:
- Female Anatomy: Women's urethras are shorter than men's. This reduces the distance bacteria need to travel to enter the bladder.
- Certain Types of Birth Control: Women who use diaphragms and/or spermicidal agents for birth control have an increased risk of getting a UTI.
- Sexual activity: The risk of developing a UTI is higher in sexually active women than in women who are not. Your risk also increases if you have a new sexual partner.
- Menopause: The reduced level of estrogen after menopause causes changes in the urinary tract, making it more prone to infections.
Some other factors that can increase your risk of getting a UTI are:
- Urinary Tract Abnormalities: Babies who are born with urinary tract abnormalities, which inhibit the proper flow of urine, are more likely to develop UTIs.
- Urinary Tract Blockages: Kidney or bladder stones can cause urine to get trapped in the bladder and make you more likely to develop urinary tract infections.
- A recent urinary tract procedure: Surgery or examination of the urinary tract involving medical instruments may increase the risk of a UTI.
- Using a catheter: Using a catheter to urinate can make you prone to developing a UTI. You may have to use a catheter if you are hospitalized, paralyzed or have neurological problems that affect your ability to urinate.
The symptoms and signs of a urinary tract infection are:
- A sudden urge to pee
- Increased urinary frequency (you may pass a small amount of urine frequently)
- A burning sensation or pain when peeing
- Cloudy or smelly urine
- Blood in the urine
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Feeling unwell or tired
- Behavioral changes, such as agitation or severe confusion, especially in the elderly
How to treat a urinary tract infection
Visit your doctor if you develop symptoms and signs of a urinary tract infection. They can prescribe antibiotic medications to treat them. After starting treatment, UTI symptoms usually start to disappear within five days. Be sure to complete the entire course of medication, even if your symptoms improve right away.
How to prevent a urinary tract infection
You can take the following steps to lower your risk of developing a urinary tract infection:
- Drink plenty of liquids: Mainly water, as this helps to dilute the urine and ensures that you pee more often, eliminating bacteria from the urinary tract.
- Drink cranberry juice: While there are no conclusive studies to prove that drinking cranberry juice can prevent a UTI from occurring, some women swear by it.
- Make sure you always pee after sex: Peeing after sex can help flush out bacteria from your bladder.
- Wipes from front to back after using the bathroom: This helps prevent bacteria from the anus from spreading to the urethra and vagina.
- Avoid using feminine hygiene products: such as deodorant sprays, powders and douches in the genital area, as they can irritate the urethra.
- Consider changing your birth control method: Using diaphragms or condoms with spermicidal agents can lead to bacterial growth.
The female urethra
The urethra is a tube-like organ that helps urine pass out of the bladder. Women's urethras are shorter (about 2.5 to 4 centimeters) than men's (about 15 to 20 centimeters). This makes women more likely to get urinary tract infections, as the bacteria have to travel a shorter distance to enter the bladder. A classic UTI symptom is a burning sensation in the urethra when urinating. This is because bacteria can grow in the urinary bladder, kidneys or urethra.
The bladder
Your bladder health can directly affect your sex life. The bladder is located between the pelvic bones and is a muscular, hollow organ that expands to hold urine. The bladder muscles relax as it fills with urine, but when it's at full capacity, it sends signals to the brain to empty it. During sex, bacteria can get into your urethra, and increase your chances of getting an infection. That's why it's important to always pee after sex, as peeing eliminates germs.
Having sex with a full bladder also increases your chances of developing stress urinary incontinence. This condition develops due to weak pelvic floor muscles and/or a weak urethral sphincter. In this condition, the bladder can leak urine during any movement that puts pressure on it, such as coughing, exercising, laughing, sneezing, or having sex.
