Sex may permeate our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most individuals dealing with sexual health issues or trying to find information about sex often resort to unverified online sources or follow their friends’ unscientific advice.
To address the widespread misinformation about sex, News18.com has this weekly sex column entitled “Let’s Talk Sex.” With this column, we hope to spark conversations about sex and address sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance. The column is written by sexologist prof. (dr.) Saransh Jain. In this article, Dr. Jain discusses honeymoon cystitis and what precautions can be taken to avoid this infection.
So, you’re going on your honeymoon! It’s a time to celebrate and enjoy newlywed bliss. But before you wrap up your romantic trip, there’s something you should know about honeymoon cystitis. Honeymoon cystitis is a urinary tract infection (UTI) that can affect both men and women. Although it is most common in women, men can get it too. The good news is that it is usually easy to treat and most people make a full recovery.
The key to avoiding honeymoon cystitis is to be aware of the risk factors and take some simple precautions. So, before going on your honeymoon, read this article to prevent honeymoon cystitis.
What Is Honeymoon Cystitis?
Honeymoon cystitis is a common infection that can affect newlyweds. It tends to present in a similar way to other bladder infections. However, the only difference is that it is usually caused by sexual intercourse. During sex, E.coli bacteria, which tend to live on the skin around your anus, can be transferred to your urethra and into the bladder (via your partner’s fingers or penis).
Women are much more at risk for cystitis because their urethra is much shorter than the male urethra, making it easy for E.coli bacteria to reach the bladder. Men usually don’t get a bladder infection without suffering from a more serious underlying health problem.
It usually occurs when a woman has sex for the first time, or when a woman has sex after a long period of time without any sexual activity. The good news is that honeymoon cystitis is usually a temporary condition and is easily treated with antibiotics if caught early. The key is to be aware of the symptoms and take steps to prevent them.
What are the symptoms?
If you are planning a honeymoon soon, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of honeymoon cystitis, which include:
- There is a burning sensation when urinating.
- A strong desire to urinate despite having recently emptied your bladder
- A desire to urinate more often than usual, although only small amounts will be excreted
- A pain in your stomach near your pubic bone
- Your urine may have a strong or foul odor.
- Your urine may contain blood or appear cloudy.
How is honeymoon cystitis treated?
The good news is that honeymoon cystitis is usually a minor infection and can be cleared up relatively easily with antibiotics. In more severe cases, you may need to be admitted to hospital for treatment. In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to ease the discomfort:
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, to flush out the bacteria.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to ease the pain.
- Urinate after sex to flush out any bacteria that may have entered during intercourse.
- Use a heating pad on your lower abdomen to ease cramps.
If you experience recurrent episodes of honeymoon cystitis, your doctor may prescribe a low-dose antibiotic to be taken after sex.
Can honeymoon cystitis be prevented?
There are some things you can do to lower your chances of getting honeymoon cystitis or any kind of cystitis for that matter.
- Drink plenty of fluids: This will help flush bacteria out of your system.
- Swipe from front to back: This prevents the spread of bacteria from the anus to the urethra.
- Urinating as soon as possible after sexual intercourse: This helps flush out any bacteria that may have been introduced during sex.
- Stay hydrated: This will help dilute your urine and prevent bacteria from building up.
- Change sexual position: This helps reduce friction and prevent irritation.
- Ask your partner to soften: This will help reduce the amount of force placed on the bladder and urethra.
Is avoiding sex the only way out?
Certainly not! There are many things you and your doctor can do to prevent this from ruining your sex life:
- If you are currently using a diaphragm or spermicide, consider switching to an alternative method of contraception.
- Use a lubricant during sex because vaginal dryness and irritation can increase the risk of infection.
- Try to empty your bladder before sex and again within 30 minutes afterward to flush any bacteria out of your bladder before they can cause an infection.
By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your honeymoon is free of cystitis and that you enjoy every minute of it. If you are approaching or have gone through menopause and are experiencing vaginal dryness, talk to your doctor about estrogen creams. If any of these measures still don’t work, you may need to see your doctor.
Prof (Dr) Saransh Jain is the winner of the Swasth Bharat Rattan Award and is a Certified and Licensed Sexologist by the American Board of Sexology. He is currently a Senior Consultant at Dr. SK Jain’s Burlington Clinic in Lucknow. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views of this publication.
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