No, Peeing After Sex Won't Prevent STIs or Pregnancy—But Here's Why You Still Might Want to Do It - Health.com

One aspect of sexual health is ensuring that people have pleasurable but safe experiences with sex. To help encourage good sexual experiences, you may have heard that you should urinate following sexual activity.

While peeing after sex may be helpful, it's not required to go immediately or go if you don't need to. Here's what you need to know about the benefits of peeing after sex, plus the experts' answers to some common questions.

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Urinating after sex can help lower the risk of developing infections due to bacteria that may have gotten into the urethra during sex.

Beyond that, peeing after sex hasn't been shown to have any definite health benefits, so it is not something most healthcare providers would say is necessary, Lauren E. Stewart, MD, female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery specialist at NYU Langone Health, told Health.

Dr. Stewart said it's unlikely to be harmful, so if you feel better when you pee after sex, there's no need to stop. Urinating after sex may also have different impacts on the body regarding pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Pregnancy

Some people want to improve their chances of getting pregnant, while others want to avoid getting pregnant. You might consider peeing—or not—after sex as one of the strategies for helping you achieve the desired outcome.

Urinating after sex will not prevent pregnancy—even if you go only seconds after ejaculation. When somebody with a penis and somebody with a vagina has penetrative sex, ejaculate is released into the vaginal canal. Urine comes from the urethra—a different opening.

If the goal is to prevent pregnancy, there are birth control methods you can use, such as:

• Birth control implants
• Birth control pills
• Diaphragms
• Internal or external condoms
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• The birth control shot or patch
• Vaginal rings
  

STIs

Peeing after sex is not listed as a way to prevent STIs. STIs in people having vaginal intercourse are infections within the vagina, explained Dr. Stewart. "Urinating after sex will not flush bacteria or viruses out of the vagina since the urinary opening is separate from the vaginal opening," added Dr. Stewart.

Using barrier contraceptives (i.e., condoms) is the most effective method for preventing STIs, and you and your sexual partners should get STI testing frequently.

UTIs

Sexual activity is a risk factor for UTIs. Peeing after sex might help decrease the likelihood of developing UTIs but not prevent them.

Individuals with vaginas have a short urethra with an opening close to their vagina and anus. This anatomy makes them more susceptible to UTIs, as it's easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder and cause the infection.

You can prevent UTIs by doing actions such as:

• Drinking plenty of fluid daily
• Showering instead of bathing, when possible
• Urinating when you need to go
• Using gentle, fragrant-free soaps for cleaning
• Wiping from front to back after urination

It's not uncommon to experience a mild, temporary burning sensation when you pee after sex, and it's usually nothing to worry about. That burning sensation may be due to vaginal irritation and can likely go away on its own.

However, feeling any burning during urination may also be caused by the following:

• Bladder pressure due to other structures like a kidney stone or an ovarian cyst
• Certain types of medications
• Product chemical sensitivity (e.g., soaps)
• STIs
• UTIs
• Vaginal infections or irritation
  

If you think you may be pregnant or have any infection, consult a healthcare provider. Also, some symptoms related to urination may indicate an underlying health condition. Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms like:

• Back or side pain
• Bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Frequent urination not due to pregnancy or increased fluid intake
• Increased thirst or appetite
• Pain lasting longer than a day
• Shaking chills
• Sudden weight loss
• Urinary incontinence
• Vaginal drainage or discharge
• Vomiting
  

It's entirely up to you whether or not you should pee after sex, as doing won't prevent STIs or pregnancy. However, peeing after sex may reduce the risk of infections like UTIs. Urinating after sexual activity, however, may reduce the risk of infections like UTIs. If you have questions or concerns about any symptoms you develop following sexual activity or peeing after sex, talk to a healthcare provider.

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