When You Forget To Pee After Masturbating, This Is What Happens To Your Body
Some people rush to the bathroom after sex — whether it's to pee, wash their hands, nether regions, or jump in the shower — and some people don't. It's mostly about personal preference. But as it turns out, peeing after sex or masturbation can be good for your body, especially when it comes to preventing infection. When you're using your fingers or sex toys to play with yourself, you're creating a prime environment of moisture for bacteria to thrive. Peeing after sex can prevent these germs from entering your urethra and causing urinary tract infections (UTIs).
A UTI is an infection that affects any part of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Bacteria present in the areas close to your urethra (like your vagina or rectum) can make their way into your system and manifest in symptoms like a burning sensation while peeing, frequent urination, lower abdominal cramps, and a constant urge to relieve yourself. Cloudy, strong-smelling, and even bloody pee are signs too. More serious symptoms of a UTI, like an infection of the kidney, include fever, chills, lower back pain, nausea, and vomiting. Speaking about this surprising way your sex life can impact your health, did you know that women should especially be concerned with this peeing after sex?
Women have a higher chance of getting a UTI than men
The risk of getting a UTI, in general, is higher in women than in men, mainly because of differences in anatomy. So peeing after sex or self-pleasure becomes even more important for those born as women.
Women's urethras are shorter and also located close to the vagina and rectum, making it not only easier to transfer bacteria from those two adjoining areas to the urethra but also shorter travel distance to the bladder. Additionally, the tissue lining the urethral meatus is more sensitive and porous, making it more susceptible to infection. That being said, there is a smaller risk of infection when only clitoral stimulation is involved during sexual play, per Dr. Doreen Chung, a specialist in female urology at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (via Refinery29). Men, in contrast, have longer urethras. They also tend to flush out any bacteria as they ejaculate because they pee and secrete sperm through the same opening. Still, it's not a bad idea for men to pee after masturbation or sex, too. Why not be doubly careful?
Speaking of masturbation, sex, and peeing, there are a few common myths surrounding what happens to your health if you pee after sex.
Common myths surrounding peeing after sex
You may have heard that you can prevent a pregnancy and even a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by peeing after sex. But experts think these are false facts about sex you shouldn't believe.
As we've kind of established before by explaining the difference in anatomy between men and women, the vagina and urethra are two different forms of entry (and exit) in females, which means peeing after sex will not flush out residual semen lingering in any openings and prevent a pregnancy. Using effective contraceptive methods like condoms, birth control pills, vaginal rings, hormonal patches, and IUDs is still the safest and most recommended form of preventing an unwanted pregnancy.
The same logic applies to what peeing after sex can do to help prevent STIs: nothing. "Urinating after sex will not flush bacteria or viruses out of the vagina since the urinary opening is separate from the vaginal opening," reiterated Dr. Lauren E. Stewart, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery specialist at NYU Langone Health (via Health). Going back to UTIs, they happen to be really uncomfortable to deal with. While peeing after sex or masturbating could maybe reduce your risk of getting them, they're not sure-fire methods of prevention, says science. Hydrating sufficiently through the day, being mindful of how you wipe your private parts after using the bathroom so as to not spread bacteria, and avoiding irritating birth control or feminine products can go a long way too.