playing safe

You can take steps to help prevent a UTI. But you may follow these steps and still get a UTI.

• Urinate when you need to. Don't go without urinating for longer than three or four hours. The longer urine stays in the bladder, the more time bacteria have to grow.
• Try to urinate before and after sex.
• Always wipe from front to back.
• Try to drink six to eight glasses of fluid per day.
• Clean the anus and the outer lips of your genitals each day.
• Do not douche or use feminine hygiene sprays.
• If you get a lot of UTIs and use creams that kill sperm (spermicides), talk to your doctor or nurse about using a different form of birth control instead.
• Wear underpants with a cotton crotch. Avoid tight-fitting pants that trap moisture, and change out of wet bathing suits and workout clothes quickly.

Take showers or limit baths to 30 minutes or less.