How does sex cause a UTI? Unless you're going uh from the back to the front and getting nasty bacteria in the other hole..other than that I don't get it.

Sex can cause UTIs because during sexual intercourse the vagina is...uh..well...filled by...you know...and that puts pressure on the urethra, which can result in your retaining urine in your bladder. It's like a long paper straw that gets flattened again and again and again.

When this happens you don't completely empty your bladder as well as you once did; bacteria grow in the retained urine so the longer the urine remains in your bladder, the more the bacterial growth. And then...WHAM...a UTI and you're doubled over trying to pee.

So...after intercourse you should always drinks lots of water and force as much urine elimination as possible. Cranberry juice has never helped me but it is acidic and has been proven to help others. I have had UTIs for 30+ years, especially if my husband winked at me two nights in a row!

If you are in pain you might try Cystex. It's OTC and, like Azo Gantrisn, does help the pain when eliminating. Plus it has some anti-bacterial. (I'm not sure...I don't have a package in front of me. It's been so long since I've had sex, I don't need it anymore... The medication, not sex.... Oh, never mind!)

Men and women all have bacteria in that area and each person's bacteria is different. So it's pretty normal to have some kind of infection after switching sexual partners or having sex. It's just your body getting used to a "foreign object" haha.

No, it is not normal to have any kind of infection after having sex. Men rarely have UTIs because their urethras are enclosed within the penis. A woman's urethra is not protected, however. That is how/why fecal matter, bubblebaths, etc., can cause a UTI.

If you are desperate and can't get to the doctor's, most meds that help sinus infections/upper respiratory infections will also help UTIs...BUT that doesn't mean that you should NOT seek medical help!

People here are correct when they say that UTIs become a problem when they are not treated by a professional because the bacteria remains in your urinary tract system...and it can make it all the way up to your kidneys.

~ Melanie