If you are like most women, then you know the pain of a urinary tract infection. And you probably know, like most women do, that there is nothing on this earth we wouldn’t try to do to avoid having one. But it turns out one thing we’ve been taught to do — pee before sex — has actually been all wrong all along.
A new article on Yahoo Health dispels the myth that women should pee both “after and before sex” to decrease their chances of developing a UTI.
UTIs — sometimes called “honeymoon cystitis” — are caused by vaginal bacteria getting pushed into the urethra during sex. Women are much more prone to them than men and they get them when intensity or frequency of sex increases or when they forget to pee after sex. Yes, any woman who has ever had these frequently (and I am one of them) knows that peeing immediately after intercourse is just a must. But before sex? That’s a no-no.
Why? According to the doctor who spoke to Yahoo, it’s because waiting to pee allows the urine to build up and create a strong stream, which increases the odds of pushing that bacteria back out. Without it, the bacteria can cause an infection.
A UTI feels like millions of tiny gnomes living inside one’s urethra, poking at it with hot sticks. It also feels like having to pee the worst you’ve ever had to pee in your life about every .5 seconds. In short, it’s awful. And the women who’ve never had them? I don’t like you. OK, just kidding. Not really. I don’t.
According to New York City urologist David Kaufman, urinating before sex “is the No.1 cause of post-coital urinary tract infections, also known as honeymoon cystitis.” And since we all want to know how to prevent UTI’s, the key is that having a solid stream afterward is crucial since the bacteria can be hard to dislodge. “Bacteria have tiny pilli that act as Velcro hooks, which allow them to attach themselves to the urethral lining,” says Kaufman. Oh.My.God. Someone please hold me.
This is going to change a whole lot of lives.
That said, here’s my question: How do you have intercourse while having to pee? No. Really. How? It is uncomfortable and, to put it delicately, things release at the end, right? If it’s good, anyway. So, is this going to cause a rash of very wet beds?
You know what, take it from me, a wet bed is far preferable to a UTI. I’d take that any day. Ladies, go forth and hold it. And if you do get a UTI, there are solutions for that, too.
Do you remember to hold it?
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