UTIs: Myths vs Facts

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more common in women than men. In fact, more than half of women will experience this type of bacterial infection in their lifetimes, according to the American Urological Association. About half of those women will experience two UTIs in six months or three in one year, which is called a recurrent UTI (RUTI).

Why? One reason is that the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the bladder, is shorter in women than in men, so bacteria can reach the bladder more easily. Bacteria live throughout the urogenital tract, which is normal and healthy. But, if Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other common bacteria enter and grow in the urinary tract, a UTI can develop.

Common triggers for UTIs in women include:

• vaginal intercourse
• atypical anatomical structure of the urethra and bladder
• kidney stones
• foreign bodies within the urinary tract (such as from prior surgeries)
• menopause, which changes the bacteria of the urogenital tract
• certain diabetes medicines that increase sugar levels in the urine
• using douches or vaginal deodorants

Myth: Poor hygiene causes UTIs.

Truth: E.coli, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella bacteria are the most common causes of UTIs and bladder infections in women, though many other bacteria types can less commonly result in a UTI. Though general hygiene is important, an imbalance in the urobiome (the colony of bacteria living in the bladder) is more likely the culprit. It’s also possible that certain types of bacteria that can be present in a woman’s microbiome can predispose them to recurring UTIs.

In men, UTIs are generally caused by an obstruction or abnormality in the urinary tract, such as a kidney stone or enlarged prostate, inability to drain the bladder to completion (allowing for bacterial growth), having recently had a catheter to drain urine, or having a neurological condition like Parkinson’s disease that might make draining the bladder difficult. Studies have also shown that uncircumcised men are more likely to get a UTI than circumcised men.

Myth: You can get a UTI from your sexual partners.

Truth: Sexual partners do not transmit UTIs. But, the act of vaginal intercourse can introduce harmful bacteria into the urethra that may be unavoidable for some women susceptible to developing UTIs.

“Though there are certain products, such as spermicidal products, that may put you at risk of UTIs, the ‘old-wives’ tales of prevention through methods such as urinating before and/or after intercourse, front-to-back wiping after urination, and avoiding hot tubs, tampon use, and douching, do not appear to prevent UTIs,” says Raveen Syan, M.D., a urologist at the University of Miami Health System.

Myth: If you experience painful urination, you definitely have a UTI.

Truth: Pain or burning with urination is not the only symptom of a UTI. Additional symptoms include frequent or intense urges to urinate (with very little urine), lower abdominal pain, cloudy or bloody urine, foul-smelling urine, fever, and fatigue. Elderly people can experience mental status changes with this infection.

The same symptoms can be caused by other medical conditions, including interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome), some sexually transmitted infections, kidney stones, vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina), overactive bladder, and dietary changes.

Myth: If you think you have a UTI, you don’t need to see a doctor.

Truth: If you are experiencing one or more of the symptoms associated with a UTI, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider who can determine the cause and which treatment is appropriate for you. UTIs can typically be diagnosed by your primary care physician or a physician or nurse practitioner at an urgent care center. To treat more complex and recurrent UTIs, see a urologist.

If you are not currently taking an antibiotic, a clinic-based urine test called a urine culture can identify the presence of harmful bacteria in your urinary tract. It can take a couple days for a urine culture to grow in the lab. If unwanted bacteria are found, this information can help your doctor prescribe an antibiotic that is most likely to clear up this specific type of bacteria.

It’s essential that you take all of the antibiotic as prescribed, even if you feel better within a couple days, to help prevent future antibiotic resistance.

At-home (over-the-counter) UTI tests cannot detect nor identify bacteria. Instead, these tests identify the presence of other potential signs of infection, such as nitrites (which are produced by bacteria) and leukocytes (white blood cells that can increase in numbers when there is an infection). These measures are less accurate indicators of a UTI, and they cannot determine which type of bacteria may be growing in the urinary tract. If an at-home test indicates that you may have a UTI, you still need a doctor to confirm the presence of an infection and prescribe antibiotics.

Without successful treatment, a UTI could progress to a kidney or blood infection with more serious consequences, such as hospitalization.

Myth: UTI symptoms should go away entirely after treatment.

Truth: After treatment, mild symptoms may linger for a few weeks. If moderate to severe symptoms persist after treatment, see your doctor.

If your UTI returns after taking all of the antibiotic as prescribed, this medication may not kill the type of bacteria that’s causing your infection. Your doctor will need another urine culture to ensure that you are prescribed the correct medicine.

Or, you have a recurrent UTI. You should also see a urologist to better understand why you’re experiencing RUTIs, what may be contributing to this problem, and find a long-term treatment approach that works for you.

Myth: There is not much you can do to prevent UTIs.

Truth: There are several things you can do to prevent UTIs, after consulting with your doctor. These include:

• initial therapies: probiotics, vitamin C, cranberry tablets with proanthocyanidins
• intermediate treatments: D-Mannose
• advanced therapies (taken daily or pre/post-vaginal sex, as prescribed): Methenamine hippurate tablets, oral antibiotics, antibiotic bladder washes
• prescription estrogen pills or vaginal cream to reduce vaginal dryness in post-menopausal women (the most effective methods available to prevent UTIs in post-menopausal women)

While many women claim that drinking cranberry juice helps prevent their recurrence of UTIs, the research results vary. Most studies do not support drinking it for UTI prevention because cranberry juice does not contain a high enough concentration of proanthocyanidins (PAC), the substance linked to urinary tract health. Juice is also high in sugar. If you want to add this form of prevention to your other efforts to avoid infection, take cranberry tablets instead, which have higher amounts of PAC.

A simple and proven way to reduce your risk of developing a UTI is to drink more water. A study led by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has shown that drinking more water every day significantly reduced the recurrence of urinary tract infections in women.

Updated by Dana Kantrowitz, a contributing writer for UHealth Collective, in August 2025.

Reviewed by Raveen Syan, M.D., a urologist at the University of Miami Health System.

Originally published on: July 22, 2019

Tags: bladder infection, cranberry pills, Dr. Raveen Syan, Methenamine hippurate, proanthocyanidins, recurring UTIs, urinary tract infection, UTI