Health Conditions

What are the risk factors?

The following characteristics, medical conditions, and behaviors make it more likely that an individual will develop a UTI:

Characteristics:

• Being female
• Being a child
• Being elderly

Medical conditions:

• Obstruction of the urinary tract (for example, kidney stones or an enlarged prostate) can prevent urine from flowing through the tract and create a fertile environment for bacterial growth
• Diabetes can cause sugar to be excreted in the urine, providing an excellent medium for bacterial growth
• Pregnancy causes a natural change in the position of the bladder and hormonal changes, which may increase the risk for a UTI
• Weakened immune system
• Kidney disease reduces urine output, increasing the chance that bacteria in the urinary tract will thrive
• Altered mental states (for example, dementia or Alzheimer's disease) reduce awareness of the need to urinate until the bladder is completely empty and can allow bacteria to thrive in the urinary tract
• Spinal cord injury can reduce the ability to empty the bladder completely, allowing bacteria to thrive in the urinary tract
• Catheterization (insertion and use of a catheter) often introduces bacteria into the urinary tract

Behaviors:

• Having frequent sexual intercourse allows bacteria to enter the urethra and migrate up the urinary tract
• Using a diaphragm or spermicide for contraception changes the bacteria in the genital area and can destroy infection-fighting organisms in the urinary tract
• Recent use of antibiotics can promote antibiotic resistance