A urinary tract infection, aka UTI, is a painful but common infection that happens when bacteria from your skin or rectum gets into your urethra and infects your urinary tract. That can cause range of intense symptoms, including a burning sensation when you pee and feeling like you need to go all the time.<\/p>\n
But, once you start to feel better, it\u2019s natural to wonder\u2026 can you have sex with a UTI? The answer is a little complicated. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n
While there\u2019s no official health guidance on this from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), doctors say the short answer is yes, you can have sex with a UTI. \u201cIt poses no risk to either partner,\u201d says urologist David Kaufman, M.D., director of\u00a0Central Park Urology, a division of Maiden Lane Medical. However, he says, \u201cit will likely be very uncomfortable\u201d for you \u201cdue to bladder sensitivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s health expert\u00a0Jennifer Wider, M.D., agrees. \u201cSexual intercourse with a symptomatic UTI can be uncomfortable and irritating,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
A UTI is a common infection that can happen when bacteria infects your urinary tract, the\u00a0CDC\u00a0explains. A UTI can technically affect any part of your urinary tract, but it most commonly causes a bladder infection. A kidney infection is a less common form of a urinary tract infection but is considered more serious than a bladder infection, the CDC says.<\/p>\n\n
Anyone can develop a UTI but some people are at a higher risk than others. Those include:<\/p>\n
UTIs are typically treated with antibiotics.<\/p>\n
Not sure if you have a UTI? The\u00a0CDC\u00a0lists the following as major symptoms of a bladder infection:<\/p>\n
Kidney infection symptoms can include:<\/p>\n
Adv<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n You won\u2019t break your urinary tract or anything, but it\u2019s not an ideal scenario. \u201cIt will be uncomfortable,\u201d Dr. Kaufman says. Dr. Wider points out that you may \u201cirritate the area\u201d and \u201cexacerbate\u201d your symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can get an additional infection as well,\u201d Dr. Wider says. \u201cIf you are being treated with antibiotics, the symptoms will likely clear in an expedient fashion and the chances of getting a secondary infection go way down.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, you\u00a0could<\/em>\u00a0have sex with a UTI\u2014it just may not feel all that comfortable. With that in mind, Dr. Wider says that \u201cit\u2019s probably wise to wait until you treat the UTI and symptoms have gone away before having sex.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a few things you can do to lower the risk you\u2019ll develop a UTI in the future. While you may have heard that it\u2019s a good idea to pee before and after sex, Dr. Kaufman says that\u2019s actually not the best way to go.<\/p>\n Instead he recommends that you \u201chydrate before sex and pee like a firehose after sex.\u201d This helps push out any bacteria that may have been shoved into your urethra during sex, he explains.<\/p>\n The\u00a0CDC\u00a0also recommends you do the following:<\/p>\n If you happen to develop symptoms of a UTI, call your doctor. You\u2019ll likely need to get on antibiotics to clear things up.<\/p>\n\n A urinary tract infection, aka UTI, is a painful but common infection that happens when bacteria from your skin or rectum gets into your urethra and infects your urinary tract. That can cause range of intense symptoms, including a burning sensation when you pee and feeling like you need to go all the time. But, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75515,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[4981],"yoast_head":"\n\r\n \t
What can happen if you have sex with a UTI?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
When can you have sex after having a UTI?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to lower your risk of having a UTI in the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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