What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?


	What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?

What is a Urinary Tract Infection?


	A urinary tract infection is an infection that begins in your urinary system. Your urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. All play a role in removing waste from your body. Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder. Any part of your urinary system can become infected, but most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the urethra and the bladder. A urinary tract infection limited to your bladder can be painful and annoying. However, serious consequences can occur if a urinary tract infection spreads to your kidneys.



		Being female makes your more prone to UTI’s. Over 50% of all women will develop a urinary tract infection at some point during their lives, and many will experience more than one. Because women have a shorter urethra, which cuts down on the distance bacteria must travel to reach the bladder, they are more likely to develop an infection in their urinary tract. Woman who are sexually active tend to have more urinary tract infections. Sexual intercourse can irritate the urethra, allowing germs to more easily travel through the urethra into the bladder. After menopause, urinary tract infections may become more common because tissues of the vagina, urethra and the base of the bladder become thinner and more fragile due to loss of estrogen.


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