What causes UTIs?
Bacteria can enter the urethra causing a urinary tract infection several ways, and is more likely to happen if you:
- Are sexually active
- Don’t regularly empty your bladder (holding your pee)
- Have had a UTI before
- Are going through menopause
- Use spermicides or diaphragms
Although UTIs can happen to anyone, they are much more common in people with vaginas. Vaginas have a shorter urethra (the tube from the bladder to where the urine comes out of the body) than penises, which makes it easier for bacteria to get into the bladder.1