Urinating before sex is not the best way to prevent an UTI

But urinating to empty the bladder after sex is still recommended to help prevent UTIs

Sex is a subject that is plagued by old wives tales and unhelpful myths, from rumours at school that jumping up and down after sex can stop pregnancy, through to the incorrect notion that only men ejaculate, but recently a piece of sexual health advice has been busted for being more damaging than it was termed helpful.

Urinating before sex – which has been promoted as a way to help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs), commonly in women’s magazines – has now been labelled a no-no by a leading urologist, according to Yahoo Health.

Far from being a good way to help prevent the development of a UTI, urinating could actually increase the risk of infection, which women tend to experience more than men. Speaking to Yahoo health, New York City urologist David Kauffman said the benefits of urinating before sex is one of the most common misconceptions he has had to tackle with his female patients, and is also “the number one cause of post-coital urinary tract infections, also known as honeymoon cystitis”.

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During sex, vaginal bacteria can often get pushed into the urethra, which then allows the bacteria to travel through the urethra and into the bladder more easily, which can cause an infection.

The offending bacteria have tiny pilli that act as “Velcro hooks” inside the urethral lining, Kauffman said, which need to be dislodged to stop this process and prevent an infection from developing.

Emptying the bladder after sex is advised by the NHS as a form of preventing UTIs, as is drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and help clear bacteria from the urinary tract.

Women are advised that using a diaphragm as a form of contraception could increase the risk of getting a UTI as it may press on a woman’s bladder and prevent it emptying completely while urinating. Condoms with spermicidal lubricant can also cause irritation to women during sex and increase the likelihood of developing an infection.