The Nookie Know-It-All: UTIs And Guys


For those of you not in med school, UTI’s (Urinary Tract Infections) happen when bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and multiply in the urine. While most UTIs are caused by bacteria, a good portion of them are also caused by allergies to foods, latex condoms, spermicides, or oral contraceptives. Girls get urinary tract infections much more frequently than guys, most likely due to differences in the shape and length of the urethra. While guys do get UTIs from time to time, they ARE NOT contagious. Some STDs mimic the signs of UTIs (painful urination, blood in urine, etc), so you should both get checked out to make sure you’re OK…other than that, your boyfriend might just have sympathy pains.

If you’re prone to UTIs, be sure to check with your gyno to discuss options. The best treatment is usually a course of antibiotics, but if you’re going the at-home route, I’d recommend A LOT of unsweetened cranberry juice, and over-the-counter achidopholous pills. According to many medical journals, you should also avoid from back to front. Just an FYI.