burning questions
plus some other useful information
UTIs
the cranberry myth
Myth: Cranberry juice cures UTIs.
Fact: Cranberry juice lacks sufficient PACs to treat UTIs effectively. UTI Biome Shield delivers concentrated PACs equivalent to 7 gallons of cranberry juice, preventing bacteria from adhering to urinary tract walls.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
urination
Myth: Holding your pee doesn’t cause UTIs.
Fact: Holding urine for long periods can increase the risk of bacteria growing in the bladder, making UTIs more likely.
wipe right or fight
Myth: Wiping front to back doesn’t matter.
Fact: Wiping back to front can introduce bacteria from the anus to the urethra, increasing the risk of a UTI.
Short answer: there is nothing wrong with you. UTIs are incredibly common in women especially after sex, given all of the secretions, touching, rubbing, etc. that having sex entails. While sex hygiene is important you may still get UTIs, even if you are a fastidiously clean person, always urinate after sex and wipe front to back.
A burning sensation when urinating with a UTI is primarily due toinflammation and irritation of the bladder and urethra lining caused by the bacterial infection.The bacteria irritate the delicate lining, causing it to become red and inflamed.This inflammation leads to pain and a burning feeling as urine passes through the urethra.
UTIs are caused when bacteria — most commonly E. coli — spread to the genitalia from the anal region. This bacterial infection causes cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder, and is responsible for the urge to pee regardless of whether or not you have anything in your bladder to excrete. Doctors call this urgency and dysuria.
Drinking cranberry juice isn't an effective treatment for UTIs. The PAC concentration is drastically insufficient, and the high sugar content can actually feed bacteria and worsen your infection, potentially leading to more severe complications.
If you already have a UTI, see a doctor immediately - antibiotics are the only effective treatment for an active infection. Delaying proper medical care can lead to kidney infections and more serious health risks.
UTI Biome Shield is designed for prevention, not treatment. When taken regularly, its concentrated PACs (equivalent to 7 gallons of cranberry juice without any sugar) create a powerful bacterial barrier that prevents pathogens from adhering to urinary tract walls before infection can establish.
Anatomy
The urethra in women is about 1.5 inches long, while in men, it's around 8 inches long, giving bacteria a shorter path to the urinary system. And of course the female urethra is located closer to the anus than in men. This increases the likelihood of bacteria from the GI tract (like E. coli) being transferred to the urinary tract.
Sexual Activity
Sexual activity can introduce or push bacteria from the perineal area into the urethra. Certain positions, frequency, and friction can heighten the risk, which is why many women suffer post-coital UTIs. UTI-causing bacteria have evolved specialized receptor arms (fimbriae) which allow them to attach to the lining of the urinary tract and ascend into the bladder.
Imbalance
Hormones, particularly estrogen, play a significant role in maintaining the health of the urinary tract. Changes can disrupt the vaginal and urinary tract environment, making it more susceptible to infections. Antibiotics, stress, and pH changes can also disrupt microbiome balance, creating conditions for UTI-causing bacteria to thrive.
Anatomy
The urethra in women is about 1.5 inches long, while in men, it's around 8 inches long, giving bacteria a shorter path to the urinary system. And of course the female urethra is located closer to the anus than in men. This increases the likelihood of bacteria from the GI tract (like E. coli) being transferred to the urinary tract.
Sexual Activity
Sexual activity can introduce or push bacteria from the perineal area into the urethra. Certain positions, frequency, and friction can heighten the risk, which is why many women suffer post-coital UTIs. UTI-causing bacteria have evolved specialized receptor arms (fimbriae) which allow them to attach to the lining of the urinary tract and ascend into the bladder.
Imbalance
Hormones, particularly estrogen, play a significant role in maintaining the health of the urinary tract. Changes can disrupt the vaginal and urinary tract environment, making it more susceptible to infections. Antibiotics, stress, and pH changes can also disrupt microbiome balance, creating conditions for UTI-causing bacteria to thrive.
the hydration myth
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
urination
Myth: Holding your pee doesn’t cause UTIs.
Fact: Holding urine for long periods can increase the risk of bacteria growing in the bladder, making UTIs more likely.
wipe right or fight
Myth: Wiping front to back doesn’t matter.
Fact: Wiping back to front can introduce bacteria from the anus to the urethra, increasing the risk of a UTI.
Hydration is important but at some point you can only drink so much water. Being hydrated allows you to flush your urethra after sex, but if bacteria have already attached to the lining of your urinary tract, no amount of hydrating will help. The National Academy of Medicine recommends women drink 56 ounces of water a day.
UTIs are caused by bacteria that adhere to the wall of the bladder and multiply. Bacteria and the biproducts they secrete cause a foul smell in urine. Urine looks cloudy when it contains bacteria and white blood cells.
When you get an infection your body produces white blood cells which are released into the bladder. Both white blood cells and bacteria in your urine can make it look cloudy.
General hygiene tips like wiping front to back and showering are certainly helpful. But the truth is that it is good to have bacteria living on and in our body; call it our flora, biome, or microbiome, bacteria support immunity, cognitive function, digestion and hormonal balance. Sex stirs things up and may end up introducing bacteria into the urinary tract that aren't supposed to be there. That's just how it is. Showering or even using baby wipes to prep before you have sex could diminish the bacteria present on your skin, but ultimately, if you are having sex, some bacteria are going to get moved around and may cause a UTI. It's not you.
the urination myth
Myth: Holding your pee doesn’t cause UTIs.
Fact: Holding urine for long periods can increase the risk of bacteria growing in the bladder, making UTIs more likely.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
wipe right or fight
Myth: Wiping front to back doesn’t matter.
Fact: Wiping back to front can introduce bacteria from the anus to the urethra, increasing the risk of a UTI.
Getting a UTI despite taking preventive measures like urinating before and after sex is common and medically explainable.
Sexual activity can still introduce bacteria into the urinary tract despite proper bathroom hygiene. This happens because:
Physical contact can mechanically push bacteria toward the urethra
Your anatomy plays a significant role - women have shorter urethras than men, making bacterial migration easier
Hormonal changes can alter vaginal pH and bacterial balance
Personal microbiome factors may create higher susceptibility in some individuals
Bacteria can remain viable for hours after intercourse despite urination
Even with perfect hygiene habits, approximately 80% of UTIs in women are associated with sexual activity. This is why additional preventive measures like UTI Biome Shield can be beneficial - it creates an environment where bacteria struggle to adhere to the urinary tract lining, providing protection beyond what urination alone can accomplish.
The pH in your vagina is relatively acidic in the range 3.8 and 5. An acidic pH can protect the vaginal mucosa from pathogenic organisms like E. coli that thrive in a pH of 7.4 to 7.9. This is in stark contrast to healthy Lactobacillus species that prefer a pH between 4.5 and 6.5. Anything you put in your vagina will alter your pH.
The urethra is a very small opening behind the clitoris and anterior to the vagina. It is much shorter in women (just 1.5 inches as apposed to 8 inches in a man) accounting for the much higher incidence of UTIs in women.
the wiping myth
Myth: Wiping front to back doesn’t matter.
Fact: Wiping back to front can introduce bacteria from the anus to the urethra, increasing the risk of a UTI.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
What's wrong with me? I keep getting UTIs.
Myth: You can only get a UTI from not drinking enough water.
Fact: While staying hydrated helps flush bacteria, UTIs are caused by bacterial infections, often related to other factors like sex, hygiene, or underlying health conditions.
Condoms don't cause UTIs, however, the spermacide in certain condoms can negatively affect vaginal flora by altering pH.
Non lubricated condoms combined with water based lubes are the way to go. We love Woo's Shag Juice because it’s condom-compatible, water based, silky, non-sticky, and juicy AF.
Semen, pre-ejaculate, and sperm are sterile. The vast majority of UTIs come from E. coli in our own GI tract. For lack of a better term, the grinding that happens with sex can push bacteria into the urethra, increasing your chances of getting an infection. That said, while semen is not a direct cause of UTIs, it can alter vaginal pH, making it less acidic and less hospitable to beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria in the urogenital tract.
Generally speaking, no. But if toys or hands are contaminated, lets say from anal play, they may introduce bacteria into the urogenital tract. Also some women have a sensitivity or allergic reaction to toys made of latex or plastic and do better with glass.
For women, the risk of UTIs is always greater, regardless of the style of sex we’re engaging in. Because our urethra is shorter, so is the distance bacteria have to travel to get to the bladder.
Ground Rules for Anal Sex to Reduce the Risk of UTI
Discard your condom after anal sex, and obviously, do not use the same condom for vaginal penetration.
Use different hands for anal and vaginal play. Reserve one hand for anal play only.
Use a lube that doesn’t contain sorbitol or glycerin.
a problem that affects 30 million women deserves more than anecdotal evidence, antibiotic prophylaxis & cranberry juice.
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