Urinary Tract Infection - I get UTI's quite often as does my mom so my first question is if they can

Taking a 1000mg Vitamin C tablet every day helps to make the bladder wall more slippery so bacteria doesnt adhere so easily. The Cranberry juice thing is debatable-most say it is the combination of the fluid and vitamin C that helps and others say it is a chemical within the cranberry but drinking water and taking Vit C does just as good a job, probably better since studies show that sugar negates any good cranberry does and not too many people can drink unsweetened cranberry juice. Your husband or partner needs to be aware when he penetrates to avoid placing his penis near the anal area and dragging bacteria from there to the vaginal area and urethra, consequently, never allow anal penetration followed by vaginal penetration as this is begging for trouble when you are like us. This is why showering before sex can help because it reduces the amount of bacteria growing in and around the anus. Most UTIs are caused by E.Coli and guess where the largest amount of E.Coli is found? In the digestive tract and feces. No matter how well you wipe with toilet paper, you are going to leave enough E.Coli in that area after a bowel movement to give you an infection. Oral sex can also introduce a lot of bacteria so it can be helpful for your partner to brush his teeth and tongue before sex occurs again to reduce bacteria (I know, not very spontaneous but I'd rather sacrifice spontaneity for a UTI anytime). Be sure that you are always getting plenty of water to drink to stay well hydrated. This helps to make you void often. The longer urine sits in the bladder the more likely for infection to occur and when you need to urinate-go! Waiting and holding it causes a certain amount to reflux back into the bladder and carries bacteria with it. Always wipe after voiding from to back to avoid dragging bacteria to the urethra from the anal region. You may even need to watch what soaps you use in the genital area as some soaps, especially deodorant and antibacterial soaps, are harsh and can irritate the urethra. I have found if I use to much bleach on my underwear can irritate. They say not to bathe but to shower. I like a good hot soak though so I just make sure to void after bathing but I cannot use bubble bath as it is too irritating. Baby Magic baby bath products are mild and work well for cleansing the genital area. I also use the premoistened flushable wipes instead of toilet paper. Another thing, rather than antibiotics, I keep Phenazopyridine tablets on hand so if I do get a UTI, it stops the bladder spasms until I can get to the Dr for antibiotics. It stains your urine and everything it comes into contact with orange so wear a thin pad or panty liner and wear your less dear underwear. Sometimes it is just irritation rather than infection, and if it is irritation, it will go away after a few doses of Phenazopyridine (also called AZO Standard or whatever store generic-Walgreens has one just called Urinary Pain Tablets) and a good flush of lots of water, the burning goes away. No antibiotic needed (and this will reduce the possibility of resistance) If you follow all of this advice, you will find you get the UTIs much less often. Good Luck and feel free to ask me any questions! Dzoo.