Howdy, y'all! I've gotten some anonymous questions recently, and I wanted to share them with you in case they've been on your mind as well. I'm going to call this series "Ask Allison", and I'm hoping that I get more and more question submissions so I can keep sharing them around. Feel free to contact me any time with yours, and know that these will always be anonymous! Here we go!
Dear Allison,
I heard that it's important to pee after sex. Is it also important to pee after solo play (masturbation)? If so, do people with penises have to pee after sexual acts too, or just people with vulvas?
Sincerely,
Peeing and Confused
Dear Peeing and Confused,
You heard correctly! It's important for every body to pee after sexual acts, including solo play. This is because bacteria from sex acts can make their way into places they shouldn't be, like the urethra. The urethra is the tube that goes from the bladder to the outside world. It has a small opening, on the tip of the penis and slightly underneath the clitoral hood and glans clitoris. Because the "male" urethra extends through the body of the penis and kind of does a little loopdy-loop within the body, it's less common for Assigned Male At Birth (AMAB) folx to get a urinary tract infection (UTI), whereas Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) folx have a much shorter urethra, only a few inches long, so it's more common to contract bacteria for someone AFAB. But any body can get a UTI, so it's much better to be safe than sorry! And trust me, from experience with UTIs, you will be sorry! Fear not, though - keep reading!
If you're concerned that you might have a UTI, it's important to see a physician right away. UTIs are very uncomfortable most of the time, and, left untreated, they can turn into bladder infections which are really really nasty and quite painful for most. Not to scare you here, just a word of caution: untreated bladder infections can cause sepsis (a body-wide infection of the blood) and can be dangerous. And the test is easy - you just pee in a cup! Your doctor will likely prescribe a short course of antibiotics for you - if possible, ask to stay way from one called Cipro (sih-pro), as it has been shown to cause major GI upset and can be difficult, if not impossible to overcome, even with probiotics and the works. Make sure you finish all of the pills and drink lots of water. I'm talking at least 2 liters per day.
Remember that having a UTI isn't dirty or shameful. It's actually one of the most common (and luckily treatable and curable) infections out there! Do your part in taking care of your body and you should be just fine. Here are some tips to prevent UTIs, just in case:
ALWAYS pee after any sex act
Wash your genitals well with warm water (and a mild soap, if you have a penis)
ALWAYS wash your sex toys with warm water and a mild soap between uses
ALWAYS wash your hands, toys, penises, etc. and anything else you may be inserting from vagina to anus and vice versa
If you're using a condom, get a new condom if you're going from anal to vaginal play. And wash ya damn hands!
Thanks for your question! I hope this answers it for ya. Stay safe and stay sexy!
~Allison
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