Medical Questions » Kidneys and Bladder Questions » Question No. 543
| Question: | Why do I keep getting bladder infections every few months? I am a 35 year old woman who is happily married. |
| Answer: | Sex. That one word describes the cause of 90% of bladder infections (cystitis) in women. Because the urethra (the tube leading out from the bladder) is only 1 to 2 cm long in women, it is easy for skin bacteria to be massaged up into the bladder during intercourse. Honeymoon cystitis is a very well recognised medical entity.
The simplest forms of prevention are taking plenty of fluids to keep the bladder working regularly, emptying the bladder after sex, and using urinary alkalinisers (available from chemists) to make the urine harder for bacteria to survive. Once a woman has cystitis, antibiotics should be obtained from a doctor as soon as possible because untreated the bacteria may migrate up to the kidneys and cause severe problems.
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