Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

by Michael Jubinville, MPH

A risk factor makes the chances of getting a disease or condition higher. You can have a UTI with or without any of those listed below. But the more risks you have, the higher the chances of a UTI.

Talk to your doctor about the steps you need to take to lower your risk.

Being Sexually Active

Having sex makes your risk higher. Also, your chances are higher for having a new partner within the past year.

Health Problems

Your risk is higher if you have certain health problems such as:

Structural issues in the urinary system
Urine flows backwards from the bladder—vesicoureteral reflux
Diabetes
Weak immune system
Kidney stones
Enlarged prostate gland
Paraplegia or quadriplegia
Prior kidney transplant
Sickle cell disease
Menopause
Nervous system diseases that make it harder to fully drain the bladder
Pregnancy

Medical Devices and Procedures

Your risk is higher for these:

Females who use a diaphragm for birth control
Females who have a partners who use spermicide on a condom
Having a urinary catheter
Prior surgery on the urinary tract

Medications

Taking certain medicines can raise the risk of getting a UTI such as:

Antibiotics
SGLT2 inhibitors for diabetes

Age and Gender

UTIs are more common in women during their lives. This is because the urethra and anus are close together. The urethra is also shorter in women than in men. The risk of goes up even more after menopause in women and after age 50 in men.

Genetics

UTIs tend to run in families. If you have people in your family with the same problems, it makes your risk higher. The link is more common in first-degree relatives such as a mother and daughter.

References:

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs). Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/genitourinary-disorders/urinary-tract-infections-utis/bacterial-urinary-tract-infections-utis. Updated June 2018. Accessed September 20, 2018.

FDA Drug Safety Communication: FDA revises labels of SGLT2 inhibitors for diabetes to include warnings about too much acid in the blood and serious urinary tract infections. US Food & Drug Administration website. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm475463.htm. Updated January 19, 2018. Accessed September 20, 2018.

Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) (pyelonephritis and cystitis). EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.... Updated June 4, 2018. Accessed September 20, 2018.

Urinary tract infections in adults. Urology Care Foundation website. Available at: https://www.urologyhealth.org/urologic-conditions/urinary-tract-infections-in-adults. Accessed September 20, 2018.

Last reviewed September 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrienne Carmack, MD
Last Updated: 9/20/2018

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