Can you contract UTI from a toilet seat?

UTI or urinary tract infection is one of the most common health problems in women. While it can also occur in men, it is more prevalent among the female population. Although the condition is not life-threatening or fatal, it is discomforting and can cause pain and burning in the intimate areas, which is why it is also often feared by women all around. Furthermore, there is no way to predict who is more likely to develop it as everyone is prone to the infection.

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According to Dr Sundari Srikant, Director, Internal Medicine, Marengo QRG Hospital, Faridabad, bacteria do not survive on these toilet seats or surfaces for long. Furthermore, the female urethra does not come in contact with the toilet seat, which is why UTI cannot be contracted directly from the toilet seats.

However, the doctor explains that bacteria may lodge in any cuts or scratches on the thighs and buttocks.

"People get infections due to the fact that many times they don’t know the right way of wiping themselves after peeing. Some people wipe from the back to the front, bringing the bacteria from the butthole all the way to the pee hole. Apart from the wrong use of wiping after peeing, dehydration and holding the urine for long also cause UTI," she shares.

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UTI usually spreads when bacteria goes through the urethra infecting the urinary tract and spreading to the bladder. The bacteria may then grow into a full-blown infection leading to urinary problems and complications.

UTI is not contagious and cannot spread from person to person. However, if a person wipes from back to front after a bowel movement, the bacteria can infect and contaminate the urethral opening.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) don't always cause symptoms. But when symptoms do appear, it may feel like:

- A strong urge to pee

- Burning sensation while urinating

- Cloudy urine

- Frequent urination but when you sit down to pee, you only pass small amounts

- Strong smelling urine

- Pelvic pain in women

In an Instagram video shared by Dr Tanaya, she recommends drinking plenty of water to treat and cure a UTI. She also advises against holding your pee for a long time, as it can promote bacterial growth.

“Dehydration and holding pee are bigger causes of UTI than anything else,” she wrote in the post.

In addition, according to the Mayo Clinic, UTIs can be treated with antibiotics. It is the 'first treatment' for urinary tract infections.