Hi everyone,

I have been sexually active for about 2 months now, hadn't seen my boyfriend for a month so last week we slept together a lot... I had my period this week so no sex, but we did do a lot of preliminaries and even though I wore a tampon I was still very wet. Yesterday, I started feeling the need to urinate all the time, a bit of pain etc, so I went to the doctor this afternoon. He diagnosed a uti, but he said that the infection isn't serious yet, it's only starting to develop and gave me something else, not antibiotics, as he said it could go away with just that. If it gets worse, I have a prescription for antibiotics which I do not want to take, since they eliminate protection from contraceptive pills..

My question is, is it sex that caused this? I've been reading lots of stuff online. I don't always urinate after sex, since I don't feel the need to do so... should I definitely do it? And how about cleaning yousrself both before and after sex when you're at your boyfriend's who is leaving at someone's place(so you can't really use the bath tub easily?). Could the liquid from being aroused cause an infection if it gets in contact with the urethra?

I have one more week with my boyfriend before I leave and won't be seeing him for another month. I need to get better fast, and I need tips on preventing this from happening after we sleep together again... which I hope I'll be able to do before I leave:(

Did you discuss how you could contract a UTI with your doctor? You should have asked.

Since you didn't:

1)The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina, which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel upward, causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.

2)Sexual intercourse is a common cause of urinary tract infections because the female anatomy can make women more prone to urinary tract infections. During sexual activity, bacteria in the vaginal area are sometimes massaged into the urethra.

3)Another cause of bladder infections or UTI is waiting too long to urinate. The bladder is a muscle that stretches to hold urine and contracts when the urine is released. Waiting too long past the time you first feel the need to urinate can cause the bladder to stretch beyond its capacity. Over time, this can weaken the bladder muscle. When the bladder is weakened, it may not empty completely and some urine is left in the bladder. This may increase the risk of urinary tract infections or bladder infections.

Side Note: I don't recommend douching yourself, in fact it's a bad idea. Douching can cause irritation and clean out the good bacterias in your vagina. The vagina is self cleaning. If after sex you cannot urinate, make it fun go take a shower with your mate and clean each other ;)

Besides taking your medication you can:
-Drink plenty of water and/or 100% real cranberry juice
-Wipe FRONT to BACK after using the toilet
-DON'T hold your pee
-You can wash your genitals after intercourse [with water only!]
-Take vitamin C
-Wear cotton panties


Good luck.

Sarah