Risk factors for UTIs

You can take steps to reduce your chances of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). Knowing how to control some of your risk factors may help you prevent a UTI.

Risk factors that you can control include:

• Hygiene. After using the bathroom, women should always wipe themselves from front to back. The most common cause of a UTI is growth of bacteria in the urinary tract, usually Escherichia coli (E. coli), a type of bacteria commonly found in the area around the rectum.
• Not drinking enough fluids. Drinking more fluids causes a person to urinate more frequently, reducing the levels of bacteria in the urinary tract and bladder.
• Sexual activity. Urination after sexual intercourse decreases the risk of urinary tract infections in women.
• Use of a contraceptive diaphragm, which may cause increased risk of UTIs.
• Use of a spermicide. Studies have shown that a woman may be 3 times more likely to get a UTI if her sex partner uses a condom coated with a spermicide.
• Use of feminine hygiene sprays or frequent douching.