Sex & UTIs

Urologist, Dr. Tamra Lewis gives the skinny on UTIs:

Are women who develop frequent UTIs from sex doing something wrong?

Most of the time, no. I do think that staying hydrated and urinating after intercourse are important.  But the reality is a few bacteria are going to make it into the bladder from time to time.  And in some women those bacteria may not flush back out easily. Some women may be doing all the right things, and still be more prone to a UTI.

Should they be more proactive by taking low-dose antibiotics regularly to prevent UTIs from sex or do you see ellura as a viable and healthy alternative?

If sex seems to be a trigger to UTIs then doing ‘something’ at the time of sex to make it less likely for the bacteria to ‘set up’ in the bladder makes sense.  Antibiotics can be an option for this.  But the concern is that this cannot prevent all infections, and may make antibiotics less effective if you do get an infection.  Also antibiotics can interfere with other medications, like birth control.  A lot of women would like to take something more natural that works.

We have heard that cranberry promotes urinary tract health, but are all cranberry supplements are created equal? What is it about ellura that makes a difference when you are recommending to your patients for UTI prevention?

I had been frustrated with the inconsistent response I was seeing to cranberry juice.  I think the science now explains why.  Most women who drink cranberry juice are just not getting enough cranberry to make a difference – the juice blends have very little cranberry in it, and a lot of sugar.  And with most cranberry supplements, the ingredient that actually helps is not measured. So patients can pay a lot for different products that don't have anything helpful in them.  I feel more comfortable when recommending ellura. It has the potent 36 PAC inside and I know my patients are getting what I recommend, and what they are paying for.