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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.