Dear Sexpert,
I just came back from a quick trip overseas. While I had an absolutely incredible time, meeting new people and seeing a lot of cool stuff, I've had some difficulties upon my return back to Princeton. Recently, while peeing, I noticed some severe burning and felt an urge to pee again right after I had just finished. Admittedly, I got really concerned and immediately booked an appointment at McCosh. After speaking with the doctor, he informed me that I was probably suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI). I admit I don't really know anything about UTIs, and I am starting to get really concerned. Can you tell me a bit more about UTIs and how I can prevent this from happening in the future?
- C.U.P.
Dear C.U.P.,
Thanks a lot for your question. I am always happy to answer questions relating to sexual health wellness, even the less fun ones. Here are the basics: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are generally more common among women than men, and symptoms usually include painful and or frequent urination. But the great thing about UTIs is that testing and treatment are both available!
UTIs are spread by bacteria that have spread to the urinary system - which includes the bladder (the organ that collects and stores your urine), ureters (the tube that leads from the kidneys to the bladder) and the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body).
Females get UTIs more frequently than men do because women's urethra are shorter and closer to the anus. As a result, bacteria have a shorter distance to travel in order to enter the female urethra. But infections should be taken seriously by both genders; severe cases of UTIs can lead to even more severe kidney or prostate infections. Interestingly, people with diabetes are also more likely to get UTIs because the sugar in their urine provides a good environment for bacteria to grow.
So for everyone else out there, what are the symptoms? As C.U.P. mentioned, burning pain during urination and a constant urge to urinate even when your bladder is nearly empty are signs of a UTI. Often those suffering from UTIs feel like they need to urinate all the time, especially at night. In many cases, people have difficulty controlling when they urinate and often suffer lower abdominal and/or back pain. In more severe cases, blood and pus can be found in the urine, and the person can develop a fever.
Now that you've been diagnosed with a UTI, it is incredibly important that you take any medication prescribed by your doctor for the full number of days prescribed. Even if you seem to feel better, you should still take the full course of antibiotics because it helps prevent a recurrence of the same infection and a bacterial resistance to the medication.
Now let's get practical. How can you avoid a UTI? Ensure that you wipe from the front toward the back after urinating or having a bowel movement. Drink plenty of fluids, especially before sexual intercourse, and make sure to pass urine as soon after sexual intercourse as possible. Try to keep the areas around the urethra, vagina and anus clean and dry; wear underclothing made of absorbent materials such as cotton; and finally, make sure you empty your bladder when you need to go.
I hope this helps! Have a speedy recovery!
- The Sexpert
Dear Sexpert,
I was having a discussion with some friends at dinner yesterday about lice when one of my friends jokily asked me if I had pubic lice. Is this possible? Do pubic lice even exist, or was my friend just trying to gross me out?
- Creeped Out By Creepy-Crawlies
Dear Creeped,
Yes, pubic lice actually do exist (not that I'm, ahem, speaking from experience). The small crab-like parasites live in pubic hair but can be found on other hairy parts of the body, such as the chest, armpit, face or eyelashes. They can even live off the body for up to 24 hours in bedding, towels and clothing. The grey or brownish-red lice feed on the blood of the infected person by taking small bites and lay tiny white eggs that stick to the hair shaft. Pubic lice are spread through close skin-to-skin contact with an infected person and by sharing clothes, towels, soap, bedding or sleeping bags with an infected person.
To see if you have pubic lice or nits, look at the hair and skin around the genitals: Bite marks may look like small blue spots on the skin of the infected area, and you may see fine black specks in your underwear. Often a person may develop redness and soreness as a result of itching - be careful because scratching can lead to skin infections! Luckily, there are a number of treatments, so if you're concerned that you may have pubic lice, contact your physician.
- The Sexpert
‘Sexpert' is written by a team of peer sexual health educators and fact-checked by University health professionals. You can submit questions to sexpert@dailyprincetonian.com. Don't be shy!
Read More
Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment approves renovations to Tower and Charter Clubs
Sena Chang and Isaac BernsteinOn March 27, the Municipality of Princeton’s Zoning Board of Adjustment approved construction developments for Tower Club and Charter Club. Renovations for both clubs are aimed towards improving accessibility.
On March 27, the Municipality of Princeton’s Zoning Board of Adjustment approved construction developments for Tower Club and Charter Club. Renovations for both clubs are aimed towards improving accessibility.
Students support local businesses with new platform Zage
Jack AllenAfter hearing about the struggles faced by a number of these restaurants after students left campus in mid-March, Dilbagi created Zage, an online platform that allows community members to send money to local businesses now to redeem as credits on their purchases in the future.
This fall, go beyond the 'Bubble'
Dora ZhaoEven though classes are picking up, weekends are the perfect time for students to escape the Orange Bubble. While going out to eat on Nassau is enjoyable, there is so much to see beyond Princeton. For those looking for a day trip or a chance to explore the area outside of Princeton, here is a list of ideas to do this fall.