Contrary to popular advice, there’s no actual reason to pee after sex (although you still probably want to)—at least according to Women’s Health. Sound confusing? Here’s what you need to know:
- UTIs are still a concern. Popular belief is that peeing after sex will help you avoid urinary tract infections. Basically, there’s bacteria down there, and when you have sex with a guy, that bacteria has a chance of going to your bladder via your urethra. Such a lovely image, isn’t it? The potential of getting a UTI is always there, sure, but you don’t have to jump out of bed ASAP.
- An expert says there’s no science behind peeing before sex. It seems like a logical thing to do to pee before sex, especially if you really have to go, but it’s not exactly necessary. According to Philadelphia-based gyno Sarah Horvath, M.D., this isn’t something that you definitely, absolutely have to do lest you end up with a burning urinary tract forevermore.
- You don’t need to pee right after either. She also said that there’s not always a need to pee after you’re done, either, so you don’t have to worry about this all that much. A second expert, Yale University professor Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. said, “Although I always encourage my patients to [pee] before and after sex, there really isn’t a ton of scientific data to support the habits.” In other words, it’s all much ado about nothing.
- There’s one catch. Sarah shared that if you get UTIs on a regular basis, you do need to pee right after sex or you run the risk of getting another one. Hopefully you’re already taking steps toward taking care of your urinary health if it’s something that you worry about and this is old news.
- There are some things that you can do to stop UTIs. Instead of thinking that peeing right after sex is the best and only way to make sure that you don’t get a UTI, you can think about some other things and make them part of your regular routine. Sarah suggests drinking a lot of water all the time (which you already know that you should be doing) along with using condoms (ditto) and making sure that you and the guy that you’re hooking up with are looking after your personal hygiene. Since those are smart ideas, following that advice should basically be a no-brainer.
- You can still cuddle. The article emphasized the one problem that women have with going pee right after having sex with their partner: rushing to get that done instead of staying and cuddling. Everyone loves to cuddle, right? It’s usually the best part of the whole sexual experience since that’s when you foster real intimacy and feel super connected to the person that you love. Well, if you’re not hyper-focused on peeing right away, that gives you more time to cuddle, and that’s always going to be good news.
- When nature calls, you need to listen. Another smart point that both experts brought up? If you have to pee, don’t hold it in. It doesn’t matter exactly when, it just matters that you pee when you have to and don’t go hours refusing to pee when the need is super urgent. This is a good thing to remember. It might feel super awkward to pause foreplay to pee, or to get out of bed right after to quickly use the washroom, but it’s honestly more awkward if you don’t, and probably uncomfortable to boot.
- Peeing after is still probably a good idea. So what does this really mean? Since you don’t absolutely have to pee before and after sex unless you get UTIs a lot, should you forget this long-lasting advice? Honestly, it seems like peeing after sex is still a wise decision to make. After all, it’s usually better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your vaginal health. And, besides, if you’re with the right guy, he’s not going to care if you use the bathroom after sex… as long as you crawl back into bed to continue the moment. No big deal.
