I have a problem with Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s). I get them constantly, always right after having intercourse. I am getting frustrated because I know whenever I have intercouse the outcome will be a UTI. Is there is anything I can do to prevent getting them? I am in desperate need of your help.
Frequent UTI’s following intercouse can be a real problem. Many women will experience the occasional UTI after intercourse, but there are a few like yourself who have them almost every time.
As you probably know these are not a sexually transmitted disease, despite the connection with intercourse. The germs that cause the infection are usually the common E. Coli bacteria present on everyone’s skin and genital membranes. Because the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder to the outside is so short in women, rubbing or pressure over the opening of the urethra during intercourse can push germs up into the bladder, causing the infection. The cells lining the urethra and bladder in some women appear to be less resistant to the attachment of the bacteria, and this may be the factor that permits them to become infected so easily.
I assume you have tried all the easy remedies such as urinating immediately after intercourse to flush out the bacteria and pushing cranberry juice. Positions during intercourse which reduce the friction over the opening of the urethra might be helpful, such as rear entry, or the female astride position, but these may also reduce your own stimulation. I assume you are not using a diaphragm, cervical cap, or contraceptive foam. Spermicides, even the small quantity on condoms, have been implicated in the cause of UTIs. If you are using condoms for STD protection, use the ones with no spermicide, and use the pill, an IUD, or Depoprovera for your birth control.
Finally, you should talk to your doctor about taking a prophylactic antibiotic. Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin) can be taken in a dose of 50-100 mg per day. You might try it first only when you have intercourse, but if this doesn’t work, then it can be taken every day. It can have side effects, as can any drug, but has given many women freedom from these recurrent infections.