Ahead of Women's Day, we tell you how to avoid UTI while using public toilets

Urinary tract infections are very commonly found in women across all age groups, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, educational level, or public toilet usage. There is a lot of misconception about avoiding public toilet usage for fear of contracting urinary tract infections.

However, delaying emptying of the bladder for want of a better toilet can lead to a collection of urine in the bladder for long periods that can serve as a focus for microorganisms to thrive and flourish. Women may choose to either clean the toilet seat before passing urine, or to semi-squat and pass urine, or to use a device that enables them to stand and pass urine.

The role of personal hygiene and genital hygiene can never be underplayed, but it is important to understand that urinary tract infections are multifactorial. There could be an individual susceptibility to urinary tract infections because of one’s underlying diabetic or immunocompromised state, due to the presence of structural abnormalities of the urinary tract, or some other factors.

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In women, vaginal ecology and sexual intercourse can also contribute to the occurrence of urinary tract infections. The shorter urethra and the proximity of the urethra to the anus are contributory factors as well in women. Different ages present different challenges in terms of infections of the urinary tract.  Wearing a sanitary pad for several hours can act as a nidus for the growth of microorganisms in young girls.

The sexually active woman may face disabling symptoms of urinary tract infections after every sexual activity. She is advised to pass urine and clean herself after every activity. Hormonal changes in menopausal women make the perineal area dry and reduce local immunity which can increase the risk of urinary tract infection in this age group.

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It is estimated that around 60% of women would experience symptoms of UTI once in their lifetime. Of these 20-40% would experience a second episode and of these, another 25-50% may have recurrent infections. It is therefore of vital importance to take simple measures in UTI prevention in our day-to-day lives irrespective of and despite the kind of public toilets available at the workplace. Keeping oneself well hydrated and periodically voiding is a simple and key way to flush the genital tract of the microorganisms, a behavior that should never be underemphasized.

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• Women's Day