Do You Really Need to Pee After Sex, According to Science
If you have a vagina, you’ve probably been told that it’s essential to urinate immediately after sex to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). But it turns out that there isn’t much evidence to support this idea. There is surprisingly little research on whether this oft-repeated advice actually works. One study in a journal called Evidence-Based Practice found that overall it didn’t seem to matter. But this is just one study, and the results don’t point in either direction.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) does not include urination after sex in their UTI prevention tips . Here’s what they recommend:
- Wash the skin around the anus and genital area.
- Drink plenty of fluids (including water) to flush out bacteria from your urinary system.
- Empty your bladder as soon as you feel the urge, or about every two to three hours.
They note that factors such as pregnancy, diabetes, or menopause can increase the risk of contracting a UTI. And some people seem to be more prone to them: if you’ve had UTIs before, you’re more likely to get them again than those who never had them.
However, if you’ve been urinating after sex, there’s no need to kick the habit. While there is no strong evidence that it helps, there is also no strong evidence that it is harmful or even that it is useless.
Does urine after sex prevent pregnancy or STIs?
While we’re at it, I’d like to mention two myths that are mixed up in all the advice about urinating after sex. Pissing after sex is unlikely to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections.
When it comes to preventing pregnancy, sperm enters the vagina, not the urethra. These two openings are close to each other, but they are not the same thing, and urine coming out of the urethra does not affect what happens in the vagina, cervix, or uterus. People who are trying to conceive may have heard the advice to delay urinating at least a short time after intercourse so that gravity will increase their chances of conceiving, but the American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that “this opinion has no scientific basis. ”
Urination after sex has not been found to have a significant impact on the risk of contracting HIV, chlamydia, herpes, or any other sexually transmitted infection. To prevent STIs, ACOG recommends using condoms, knowing the increased risk of anal sex or other activities that can lead to skin damage, and making sure you get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B, which can be sexually transmitted.