Pee after sex. Just do it. It may be the most solid advice I can give you.
Somehow, a bunch of us missed this message in sex ed, but it is super important.
“Never hold your pee. Ever,” my mom always preached to me. Although this annoyed my father to no end on long family car rides, it was good advice nonetheless.
What disaster might strike if you hold your pee? It’s not like you’re planning on holding it until your bladder explodes, but just until you get home. Public toilets are gross, after all.
I’m not attempting to be alarmist here, but I think it is entirely appropriate.
What disaster can strike? Potentially the plague of the UTI. A UTI, or urinary tract infection, is a terribly uncomfortable experience.
It isn’t actually the end of the world, but it can be just incredibly annoying. Its common symptoms include a burning sensation while urinating as well as a frequent and urgent need to urinate.
These sort of feelings might make you say, “Wow I really need to pee. So much so, in fact, that I think I might actually pee in my pants. To the bathroom!”
This would then be followed by a feeling of sweet relief.
“All better now,” you’ll think. “I’ll just go about my business as usual now, wash my hands, and get back to that homework. I’m back at my desk, ready to focus: Webwork here I come!”
But the drama will not end there. Inevitably, the bathroom will be calling your name soon. You may feel the urge to immediately return to the bathroom.
“Would that be weird?” you’ll ask yourself. “No one will notice.”
After four consecutive trips to the john, you may even consider the option of bringing your WebWork along with you.
It definitely would not be sanitary, you think, but you need to pee so badly that you realize that it just might be worth it.
Don’t be that person. Don’t do your Webwork in the bathroom.
This brings us back to my mom’s advice: never hold your pee. UTIs occur when bacteria get caught in your urinary tract, resulting in infection. Urinating helps to flush out that bacteria before infections can begin, which is why peeing regularly is important.
Once I hit puberty, my mom’s advice matured as well: pee after sex.
During sex all your parts and stuff are getting touched by other parts and stuff–potentially dirty parts and stuff. A lot of those parts are near (or are) your butt. You can imagine how bacteria could be getting into places it doesn’t belong.
After sex you may not have the physical urge to pee, but do it anyway.
This is advice for everyone, regardless of gender, but the reality is that women are far more susceptible to UTI’s, simply because their urethras are shorter and closer to the anus. So ladies, pay special attention.
Now, in the event that you do have the unfortunate experience of a UTI, just peeing by itself will not be enough. Cranberry juice and plenty of water might help the doctor’s treatment.
It’s not too much of a fuss to schedule an appointment with UHS, explain your symptoms, and the doctor or nurse will (hopefully) give you an, “Oh, you poor thing!” before prescribing you a short course of antibiotics that will clear you right up.
Moral of the story: pee after sex, pee all the time, avoid UTIs.
Armstrong is a member of the class of 2016.
