For the unfamiliar, a urinary tract infection is when bacteria enters the urinary tract, resulting in an infection. Alternate definition: An infection that ruins your day by leading to pain, a trip to the clinic, a trip to the pharmacy, and also more pain. The most commonly known symptom is a burning sensation while you pee, but other symptoms include blood in your pee, pain in your pelvic area, and feelings of tiredness or nausea. Again: Day. Ruiner.
Anyway, flashback to 2014, when Jenna Ryan—now the CEO and founder of Uqora, the brand helping people proactively take control of their urinary tract health—had eight in one year. “I call it my UTI-apocalypse,” she says. “I had always struggled with UTIs, but that year was particularly grueling. I was desperate to get ahead of the problem, but was told repeatedly there was little I could do.”
Unfortunately, that’s an extremely frustrating refrain you might have also heard—because 50 to 60 percent of people with vaginas will get at least one in their lifetime, according to this 2013 study.
“When I was at the height of my issue with UTIs, I felt really alone in my struggle,” Ryan says. “None of my close friends or family had UTIs like I did—why was it happening to me?” The typical advice of “drink cranberry juice” and “make sure you’re wiping correctly” just wasn’t cutting it. This experience inspired Ryan, along with her now-husband Spencer, to found Uqora in 2017.
Keep scrolling to learn more about Ryan’s experience, and what to do about a UTI.
What causes a UTI + lifestyle changes to try
So how do bacteria enter the urinary tract? “For a lot of people, this can happen from sex, exercise, sitting too long, or holding your bladder,” Ryan says. “And generally, women are a lot more prone to UTIs. That’s because our urethras are shorter than men’s urethras. This means that bacteria don’t need to travel as far to get into the urinary tract. We’re at risk of getting a UTI any time bacteria are introduced to the urinary tract.”
As a starting point, there are a few things you can do to stay proactive about urinary tract health. “Although not enough for everyone, peeing after sex and staying hydrated is the right starting place when it comes to urinary tract health,” Ryan says.
Cool, cool, cool. But the fact that some people are just more susceptible to UTIs no matter what they do (often due to anatomical factors), makes the typical advice like “wipe front to back” particularly sting. Yes, it’s good practice, Ryan says, but some people need more when it comes to proactive care.
How to promote urinary tract health
I never thought I’d think this much about my urinary tract, but through all this, I’ve realized how important urinary-tract health really is. That’s why Uqora has three different science-backed products developed in partnership with urologists and scientists, all designed to help promote a healthy—one more time—urinary tract.
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