Most women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs have something else

Most women who are told they have urinary tract infections (UTIs) actually have other conditions, a new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine shows. Maria
Uloko and a team of researchers reviewed the cases of 253 women diagnosed with recurrent UTIs. Of those, only 15% had symptoms relating only to the urinary tract or bladder. Among the others, 85% had signs of hormonally driven inflammation of the vulvar region and 75% had pelvic floor dysfunction. These may have similar symptoms as UTIs but require different treatment. “Millions of women are being treated for UTIs they may not actually have," Uloko says.