Peeing After Sex: What Has It Done for You Lately?
The original version of this post was published in Real Talk, a blog by Ovee.
Let’s play 2 truths and a lie, The Peeing After Sex Edition:
1. “OH my god I fell asleep after having sex and didn’t pee and now I’m DEFINITELY gonna get a UTI.”
2. “I think they had an STD, but I went to the bathroom immediately afterward, so I’m probably OK.”
3. “We didn’t use a condom, but I peed after, so it probably flushed most of the semen out.”
Spoiler alert: They’re ALL LIES!
Don’t feel embarrassed if you were fooled. There are a ton of misconceptions when it comes to peeing after sex. Your faithful Ovee Health warriors are here to break down the FACT vs. FICTION.
Fighting the Misconceptions
Peeing After Sex Does NOT Prevent You From Contracting STI’s
Many STD’s are spread through skin-to-skin contact (genital and oral herpes, and some strains of HPV) or exchange of bodily fluids (a.k.a. the stuff you see on CSI: blood, semen, pre-cum and vaginal fluids).
Peeing after sex will not wash away your exposure; the damage is already done, no matter how many liters of water, gatorade, coconut water, cranberry juice, etc. etc. you drink.
If you’re concerned about an STI, let us know! We can help you find a place to get tested, be your text buddy while you’re waiting or even help you construct the perfect “hey you might have chlamydia” letter to drop in a hookup’s mailbox.
You Can STILL Get Pregnant, Even If You Take a Leak After You Copulate
This is up there in incorrectness with the “I won’t get pregnant in a hot tub or if I’m on top” urban myths.
Your urethra is not connected to your vagina; your urethra connects to your bladder while your vagina connects to your uterus. Flushing out your urethra won’t get rid of sperm in your vagina or uterus.
While we’re on the topic of flushing out, douching is also ineffective in preventing pregnancy. After ejaculation, around 65% of sperm have already headed towards the cervix. By the time you get up to wash everything out, many sperm have already made it to the promise land of your uterus!
If I Don’t Pee After Sex, I WILL Get a UTI
Women do have a shorter urethra that makes them much more vulnerable to UTI’s and bladder infections because of the shorter distance to the bladder. UTI’s are caused when bacteria (probably from your colon or rectum) finds its way into your urethra. During sex, it’s possible that all the motion of the ocean pushes bacteria closer to your urethra.
In a small case study, there was only a slight decrease in risk of developing a first or second time UTI for women who urinated <15 minutes after coitus (sexy sex time). If you’re not prone to UTI’s, not peeing after sex doesn’t mean you will definitively get a UTI.
The Reality
Peeing After Sex Does Decrease Risk of UTI in Women With Recurrent Infection
For all the ladies out there who have frequent UTI’s, listen up. You’ll want to pee within 15 minutes of having sex. This habit is going to flush out any bacteria that shouldn’t be there. You might also consider washing with a plain, unscented soap. You’ll also want to stay away from douching, scented wipes or perfumed soaps that could also increase chances of infection.
Peeing After Is Not Just For Hetero Women!
Bacteria that causes a UTI can be introduced from anywhere, including mouths, fingers, toys, and yes, other vaginas. If you are a repeat UTI infectee (don’t think this is a word, but you get the point), make sure you are peeing and cleaning up post sexy time.
Now with these nuggets of truth, go forth into the world and feel confident and clean about your post-coital routine!
Bio: Courtney Snavely is the co-founder of Ovee, an inclusive sexual and reproductive health platform for people with vaginas. Check it out for everything related to pelvic health and wellness, from treating chronic yeast infections, testing positive for HPV, and extremely in depth product reviews.
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Comments (8)
Just one thing: not everyone withs vulva is a woman.
There is no mention of “vulva” anywhere in this article. Most likely, everyone has a urethra, and therefore can take something away from this.
Thank you for that reminder, but most people with vaginae (as someone else stated, vulva is not stated in this article) are women. If the content is not relevant to you, move on.
I received my first shipment of products yesterday. I also paid the fee for a lifetime membership with great faith in the company from reading posts written by customers (presumably). When I removed the items from the carton, it was swarming with ants. I quickly took the carton to the garage and disposed of it. The bottle of Witch Hazel leaked all over other products that were in a sealed plastic bag and I had four containers that were a sticky mess. The lid was screwed on the bottle of Witch Hazel but there was no seal. Needless to say this was a disappointment. I’ll give it one more try because I paid a lot of money for the lifetime membership and spent a lot on my first order, but I am skeptical.
Hi Nina,
I am so sorry for that experience. I just informed our customer support manager of your issue. Our team should be in touch with you soon. Hopefully we can make it up to you. Apologies again.
I don’t really think this is the spot to express your disappointment. Their customer service is pretty good. You can just email them. As such, I would recommend giving them a second try. You might be able to get credit for your last shipment. However, my experience has always been good. I’ve only ordered items from them 3 times, but I enjoy their items. I’m only a little sad because they discontinued their beef jerky, which was amazing.
Hmmm, I too am a lifetime member, in all of my shipments, never once has this occurred. Most likely the way it was handled during shipment.
when a manly man has a vulva which maybe good may have been a transplant and is vulnerable to STI’s because the urethra is closer to the uterus?