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Bladder HealthRisk factors for UTISome people are more likely to get a UTI than others. Women may have more urinary infections than men do because the woman’s urethra is relatively short, allowing bacteria quicker access to the bladder. Further, a woman’s urethral opening is near sources of bacteria from the anus and vagina. One in five women develop a UTI during her lifetime. For many women, sexual intercourse seems to trigger an infection, although the reasons for this are unclear.According to several studies, women who use a diaphragm are more likely to develop a UTI than women who use other forms of birth control. In addition, women whose partners use condoms tend to have growth of E. coli bacteria in the vagina, which may increase the risk of a UTI. In women, the rate of UTIs gradually increases with age. Any abnormality of the urinary tract that obstructs the flow of urine (a kidney stone, for example) sets the stage for an infection. A common source of infection is catheters, or tubes placed in the bladder to aid in urination for people unconscious or critically ill. Bacteria on the catheter can infect the bladder, so hospital staff take special care to keep the catheter sterile and to remove it as soon as possible. Any disorder that weakens the immune system (for example - diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, cancer, etc.) raises the risk of a urinary infection. Therefore, people with diabetes have a higher risk of a UTI because of changes in the immune system.
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