What increases your risk of chronic urinary tract infections?

Being female

Chronic UTIs are most common in females. This is due to two different aspects of basic human anatomy.

First, the urethra is close to the rectum in females. As a result, it’s easier for bacteria from the rectum to reach the urethra, particularly if you wipe back to front instead of front to back. This is why young girls often get UTIs. They haven’t learned how to wipe properly.

Second, the female urethra is shorter. This means that bacteria have a shorter distance to travel to get to the bladder, where they can multiply and more readily cause infection.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle factors can put you at extra risk of developing a chronic UTI, such as using a diaphragm during sex. Diaphragms push up against the urethra, making it harder to fully empty your bladder. The urine that doesn’t empty is more likely to grow bacteria.

Another example is constantly changing the bacterial makeup of the vagina. This can increase your risk of developing a chronic UTI. If you regularly use any of the following products, then you’re changing your vaginal bacteria:

Menopause

Menopause can cause similar problems in some people. Menopause causes hormone changes that can cause changes in your vaginal bacteria. This can increase your risk of chronic UTIs.