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How can I avoid recurring UTI?

Q. I am 21 years old and my boyfriend is 27 years old. I keep getting what I believe are urinary tract infections over and over again. I always believed women got these infections because they were or are not clean, but I am a very clean person. My boyfriend is also careful with his personal hygiene. Is it something I am doing? What can I do to avoid this? It is not only painful but it is starting to get embarrassing.
Concerned reader, Pemba.
A. If you have a painful, burning sensation when you urinate or if you have noticed blood in the urine, you may have urinary tract infection (UTI). Some urinary tract infections have no symptoms. There is a difference between good and bad bacteria. Women who use diaphragms have to be especially careful because spermicidal in the jelly used with the diaphragm can kill bacteria in the vagina that are actually good to have there and can create a nesting area for bad bacteria. Women experience more UTI than men because the urethra in women is shorter, and bacteria from the anus can be pushed up into the vagina during sex. Possible causes of failure to response to treatment or relapse include: Inability to void urine completely as a result of obstruction below the base of the bladder; neurological lesions; re-infection from above (the kidneys) or from genital tracts; involvement of the bladder by calculus (stones) or inflammation from adjacent structures like intestines; lack of oestrogen hormones due to post- menopausal atrophy of the urethra; infections being resistant to antibiotics. One of the simplest things you can do to avoid UTI is to urinate after sex. It flushes bacteria out. It is important to do urine tests regularly. The urine test is simple and painless and can help in establishing a diagnosis. You will then probably be prescribed an antibiotic.

Discomfort during intercourse

Q. I am 32 years old and my boyfriend is 37 years old. When having sex with my boyfriend, it feels like he is hitting against something. He said it feels like the tip of his penis is touching something like a knuckle that moves to the side under the pressure. After sex, I always have discomfort, mainly in my pelvic area. It lasts for 10 to 15 minutes and feels like the discomfort at the beginning of my period. It also makes me feel like I have to urinate. What is he hitting?
Concerned reader, Kondoa.
A. Most likely is that your boyfriend’s penis is hitting your cervix. The cervix, otherwise known as the mouth of the womb, is located at the top of the vagina. If you insert your finger, you can feel it is a firm area; it feels almost like the tip of one’s nose. The cervix is part of the uterus and if the cervix is impacted during sex, the whole uterus is moved. This can be uncomfortable. Usually position changes can help alleviate this discomfort. Being on top allows you to control depth of penetration and is the position that works best for many women in your situation. Discomfort can be a sign of prolapsed dropping of the uterus, a condition that most often occurs after childbirth. In such cases, one option is surgery either re-suspension of the uterus or a hysterectomy, depending on the severity of the prolapse, your age and your desire for future pregnancy. In general, treatment for prolapse is necessary only if you are experiencing symptoms. If you are not having any symptoms, there is no reason to do anything at all.

Birth Control Pills & Orgasms

Q. I am 24 years old and married. I have a strong feeling that I have not had an orgasm since I started having sex at 16. I had a leap (partial cervix removal) and I am on birth control pills. Is it the partial removal of my cervix that has affected my sex life?
Concerned reader, DSM.
A. Partial removal of the cervix is not the cause of your problem, depending on the depth of the cut extending into the centre. I do not think it removed your auto rhythmic fibres (the Orgasmic Pacemaker). Your orgasmic disorder results from the birth control pills. Birth control pills mask the normal ovarian function, floods your body with excessive oestrogen that thickens your vaginal lining and chills up your sensitive spot and nerves due to insufficient hormones like testosterone and finally also kills the secretion of the orgasm hormone, oxytocin, from the pituitary gland in the brain during sex. You can be very wet but cannot get orgasms or heat up your vagina and sensitive spot. You also need a high stimulation speed and pressure to simultaneously act on your clitoral base. To test your orgasmic response, you can use finger methods to re-initiate your sex organs.