The answer is based on female anatomy. The urethra (or tube that connects the bladder to the outside) is much shorter in females than in males (the urethra goes through the penis). Because the urethra is so short, it is easy for bacteria to get from the skin into the bladder. If bacteria sits in the bladder for too long, or if bad bacteria gets up there, it can cause urinary tract infections.

There are a few things females can do to cut down on how many UTIs they get. The first is practicing a healthy wiping technique. After using the bathroom (urinating and/or stooling) wipe from front to back (ending the wipe at the anus) rather than back to front. This ensures that there is as little bacteria as possible passing over the urethra opening. The second thing to do is go pee after having sexual intercourse (if having penetrative vaginal sex or oral sex). The reason is that there is a lot of extra bacteria that is introduced to the urethral area when having sex (the urethra is right next to the vagina and clitoris). Peeing and wiping after sex can help eliminate some of that extra bacteria. Lastly, try not to hold your pee. It’s not necessarily going to give you a UTI every time but it prevents the opportunity for bacteria to sit in your bladder and start trouble.