Patient/caregiver was instructed on risk factors for UTI in females as follows:
UTI is more common in females compared to males owing to the urethra located in close proximity to the vagina and anus. This proximity increases bacterial access to the urethra, thus increasing risk for UTI. Also, the urethra is shorter in females and the bacteria now have to travel shorter distance to infect other parts of the urinary system and cause UTI.
Pregnancy:
- Growing uterus during pregnancy can exert pressure on the urinary bladder and prevent it from emptying completely during voiding.
- This leads to back-up of urine in the bladder. Retained urine is a very favorable medium for growth of bacteria, thus resulting in UTI.
- Also, the overall hormonal changes during pregnancy can favor bacterial growth in the genital and urinary systems, which can contribute to UTIs.
Menopause:
- The vaginal tract normally has an acidic environment, which prevents growth of microorganisms.
- Estrogen secretion in females contribute significantly to the vaginal acidic environment.
- Reduced estrogen secretion in menopausal women contribute to alkaline environment in the vaginal tract.
- This change in the vaginal environment can put them at increased risk for growth of microorganisms, which can easily result in UTI.
Inherent risk in women:
- The length of the urethra in women is shorter compared to men, which shortens the distance the infecting microorganism has to travel up to reach the urinary bladder.
- This leads to enhanced chances for the microorganism to colonize and establish an infection.
- This contributes to inherently increased risk of women presenting with UTI compared to men.
