UTIs, or urinary tract infections, are the worst. Are we right, ladies? The constant feeling like you have to pee and not being able to until finally an itsy bitsy bit comes out and it burnslikeamuthafucker. And you still have to pee. But you can't until you do and it burnslikeamuthafucker again. This goes on until you can flush enough cranberry juice through your system to get it all out or, if you, unlike us, have health insurance, can get a little pill from your doctor. We usually get them after sex, especially after we have sex when we haven't had sex in a long time (which is about every time we've had sex for the past couple years). Peeing afterwards helps, and should help, but it turns out that maybe there's another way to avoid the burn.
According to a new study (we just love those) alcohol is as much to blame as sex:
Sexual activity had the strongest influence on a first UTI, but alcohol use correlated with the two strongest risk factors, both of which involved sexual activity, Charles Vincent, M.D., of the University of Florida in Gainesville, reported at the American Urological Association meeting.
But even if we cut back on the alcohol, we may still be screwed, or burned as it were:
More surprisingly, frequent consumption of caffeine also emerged as a risk factor for UTI.
Unfortunately this reeks of "one of those" studies that really just says "people who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in sexual activity and therefore.... x = y: or some shit:
"Few studies have suggested a relationship to coffee or tea consumption and alcohol consumption. Though causative relationships are not evident, these behaviors may suggest lifestyles that predispose risk factors of UTI development," he added.
Wait for it... wait for it...
The analysis also revealed a strong trend toward association between alcohol consumption and number of sexual partners within the past two weeks.
We're not the best at deciphering medical jargon (clearly) but you can read the rest of the article at Med Page Today—if you can tear yourself away from the booze and sex for a few minutes, that is.
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