National Survey Uncovers Widespread Misconceptions About Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs); Most Women Are Unaware Sexual Activity Is a Primary Cause for Common Infection.

RED BANK, N.J., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A national survey of 400 women who have experienced uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs) revealed numerous misconceptions about the risk factors and treatment options for this common, often misunderstood health issue. The survey was conducted by the National Women's Health Resource Center with Wirthlin Worldwide.

More than 85 percent of women surveyed did not realize that sexual activity is a primary risk factor for UTIs, apparently unaware that simple precautions -- such as using a birth control method other than diaphragms or condoms with spermicide -- can help prevent a UTI. On the other hand, the survey showed that once the women developed a UTI, more than half reported that they abstained from sex. (Previously published studies have supported this finding, showing that women abstain from sexual activity for more than a week(1), probably due to the discomfort caused by a UTI.) One-fifth (22 percent) of women also said they stopped participating in athletic activities when they had a UTI.

"Women needlessly compromise their lifestyles when they do not know how to prevent or treat a UTI," said Amy Niles, President and CEO, National Women's Health Resource Center. "Today's active women need resources that will allow them to take charge of their health. Their time and energy needs to be protected, not lost to a common, usually avoidable and easily treated condition."

Of the women surveyed, 75 percent did not realize that bacteria in the urinary tract or bladder could cause an infection. Additionally, more than one-third (34 percent) would like to treat a UTI by using an over-the-counter medication, indicating that many patients do not understand that a prescription antibiotic is the only treatment that can cure a bacterial infection. Treatment regimens that take as little as three days are available.

"Many women suffer unnecessarily because they do not realize how easy a urinary tract infection can be diagnosed and cured with a single office visit," said Dr. Richard Colgan, Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and Medical Director, Department of Family Medicine. "To avoid preventable problems in their busy lives, women should talk to their healthcare providers about the risk factors, simple lifestyle changes and short-course treatment options that can help them quickly and effectively treat the problem."