I feel your pain. Big time.

I have had times in my life where UTIs were something I could count on more than the sun coming up every day, owing the IRS money while people who made 100 times more than I do in a year didn't, and never getting a seat on the subway during rush hour. I know too well how crazymaking getting them all the time can be, and because of both what I do in my work here and all too many doctors visits for UTIs of my own, I have an encyclopedia of UTI prevention forever etched in my brain I'm glad to share with you.

Your UTIs probably are not influenced by how you clean your body after sex, but there are a host of preventative measures you can take if you're not taking them already. Let's start by first filling you and everyone else in on the basics of UTIs.

UTI stands for urinary tract infection. Sometimes you'll hear UTIs referred to as cystitis or bladder infections. A UTI is an infection caused by bacteria (most commonly E. coli or staph saphrophyticus) that occurs and multiplies anywhere along the urinary tract: the urethra, the ureters, the bladder and/or the kidneys.

Some typical symptoms of UTIs are feeling like you have to urinate often, and then sometimes only being able to squeeze out a few drops; burning and/or strong odor with urination; blood in the urine; soreness or a feeling of fullness in your bladder, stomach, lower back or sides. When UTIs spread or get serious, people can also feel nauseated, start vomiting, or get a fever or chills. Should you ever get the more serious symptoms, you'll want to head to an urgent care or emergency room, rather than scheduling an appointment with a doctor or clinic.

UTIs can be anything from mild to severe. Very mild UTIs will often go away without treatment, but if UTI symptoms stick around for more than a day, or aren't mild, you likely need treatment. UTIs are usually treated with a round of antibiotics. If left untreated, UTIs can become kidney infections, which can become very serious, even life-threatening, so it's always important to do what you can to be seen by a healthcare provider when you know or suspect you have a UTI.

When being diagnosed for a UTI, you'll ideally want to get a full pelvic exam that also looks for other infections, since sometimes what we think is a UTI is actually something else. If you've been sexually active, STI screenings should be part of that exam, especially if you or any partners aren't up to date with them (and yes, even if you're using condoms -- they reduce the risks of STIs, but don't mean there have been no risks). Be sure to fill a healthcare provider in on your sexual history and ask for those STI screenings: some providers won't do them unless you ask. There are DIY at-home tests for UTIs, but if access to a healthcare provider isn't a big issue for you, I'd strongly suggest being diagnosed by a professional instead, especially if UTIs are chronic.

Some people will never get them, some will get them only occasionally, and some people will get them often or chronically. They're far more common in people with a vagina than in people with a penis, because for those with a vagina, the urethra is much shorter and is also closer to the anus, which holds bacteria. Diabetics and pregnant people also tend to get UTIs more often than other folks.

UTIs aren't technically STIs, though they can, and often do, develop due to sexual activity, because that's a common way for bacteria to be pushed into the urinary tract. All that rubbing of the vulva from some sexual activities that can feel so nice to you unfortunately is also something bacteria greatly enjoy: they get massaged into the urethra that way. Vaginal intercourse, specifically, is the sexual activity most often associated with UTIs, as is having frequent sexual activity (which is why they're sometimes called "honeymoon cystitis") or a new sexual partner. Some sexual positions are also more associated with UTIs, namely positions where vaginal entry occurs from behind.

So, you know what UTIs are, and know you'd move heaven and earth to try and avoid them. What can help keep those darn UTIs the hell away from your body?

Some or all of these things won't work for everyone, but some ways to prevent UTIs, which may also help you avoid other kinds of genital infections, are:

Keep well-hydrated, drinking plenty of water each day. Being dehydrated makes UTIs more likely to happen. Having a glass of water before sex may also help.

Eat well: poor diet can also predispose people to UTIs. Eliminate or cut back on some things that may be part of your diet, like refined sugars and simple starches, caffeine, aspartame (an artificial sweetener in a lot of diet foods/drinks) and alcohol.

If you smoke, cut back or quit (which is best for you, anyway)

When toileting, wipe from the front (your vulva) to the back (your anus), not back to front. That helps keep bacteria from the rectum from spreading to your urinary tract.

Don't "hold it" when you need to urinate. When you gotta go, go.

Take showers instead of baths, or at least ditch bubble bath if you bathe. You'll also want to avoid other potential irritants like scented tampons, any kind of "deodorant" for the vulva, douches, scented or harsh soaps or detergents.