Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can affect anyone, regardless of gender or hygiene practices. These infections can develop in various parts of the urinary system, including the bladder, urethra and even kidneys.
While UTIs have often been associated with women, it is important to dispel this myth and recognize they can happen to anyone.
Why are UTIs only linked to women?
The misconception that UTIs are exclusively linked to women is unfounded and inaccurate.
“For years, women were told that UTIs were related to their cleanliness, but they’re not,” Dr. Barbara W. Trautner, a physician at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told Readers Digest.
While it is true that women tend to experience UTIs more frequently due to anatomical factors, such as having a shorter urethra, they can occur in people of any gender.
Another contributing factor is the proximity of the urethral opening to the anus in women’s bodies. This creates a possibility for bacteria, particularly E. coli, to migrate from the anal region to the urethra.
Several other misconceptions surrounding UTIs exist. Here’s why they aren’t true.
UTI doesn’t cause delirium in seniors
Dr. Trautner said the evidence around the claim is inconclusive. She said a common fever caused by UTI could cause some sort of confusion, but that could signal something else, like an underlying brain disease, taking multiple medications, malnutrition, untreated pain or organ failure.
Adding to the confusion, it is common for bacteria to be present in the urine of older adults without causing harm. This condition, called asymptomatic bacteriuria, usually does not require treatment.
Cleaning the vagina with soap and water can cure UTIs
Cleaning the vagina with soap and water does not prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). It can instead disrupt the natural pH and bacterial balance of the vagina. The vagina is a self-cleaning organ, equipped with its own mechanisms to maintain…
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