Frequent urinary tract infections are a common problem for women in the United States. An important area of consideration for recurrent urinary tract infection is whether there are anatomical abnormalities that could predispose you to infection. Any abnormality of bladder emptying that prevents complete expulsion of urine leaves residual urine, which increases the risk of developing a urinary tract infection. Some forms of hysterectomy, especially the radical techniques, can lead to incomplete bladder emptying, providing a setup for infection. Sometimes hysterectomy is accompanied by other procedures to lift up or correct bladder prolapse. These can also sometimes cause urine retention and can increase the risk for infection. The fact that you associate the onset of infection with sexual activity is not uncommon. The short length of the urethra in women makes it more likely that normal bacteria from the vagina will ascend up the urethra after sexual activity. As a precaution, it's a good idea to empty your bladder after sexual activity to help flush out any bacteria that may have been introduced during sexual intercourse. Another strategy to prevent infection is the administration of a single dose of oral antibiotic immediately after sex. This needs to be done under the supervision of a physician. Interestingly, frequent bladder infections wax and wane so that over a year a woman may have many infections, but the following year have few. Finally, there are other causes of frequent infections, including kidney stones, foreign body material in the bladder, or other anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract unrelated to hysterectomy. If you haven't already, you might want to seek out an opinion from a urologist who focuses on female incontinence.
Learn more in the Everyday Health Women's Health Center.
Last Updated: 10/22/2007