Should Men Pee After Sex?

Women are taught that they should pee after sex to prevent a host of infections. What about men? While men can benefit from peeing after sex, the risks of serious infections, urinary tract infections. and yeast infections are different (and substantially lower) compared to the risks in women.

Below, we’ve covered the facts to help you understand how the anatomical differences make peeing after sex a little less important for guys, but still a net benefit for your sexual health.

While the urinary system is similar in both men and women, female anatomy and women’s health both make its protection simply a higher priority than in men. Men can still see benefits from making a habit of urinating after sexual activity — just not as many of them.

Sexual hygiene can be a complicated thing to manage for both men and women, but some would fairly argue that women face higher post-sex risk factors than men. Some research puts women’s risk of UTI from sex as much as 30 percent higher than what it is for men.

From advice about “wiping front to back” to douching, to peeing after sex, there are many supported practices (and some less recommended) that can help women avoid the risk of things like bladder infection, kidney infection, and other genital issues.

Women increase their risk of UTIs and other infections in most sexual situations, regardless of whether they’re receiving oral sex, using sex toys, or exploring other forms of sexual activity beyond penetration.

Men, however, see fewer benefits from a post-coital pee, in part because a longer urethra naturally reduces the ease of infections taking hold.

There are many benefits to peeing after sex for men, from preventing UTIs and protecting your own sexual health, to protecting your partner. These include:

• Maintaining good sexual hygiene. Infections of the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys can create serious health risks in addition to putting your sex life on hold. Peeing after sex can help lower risk of infection.

• Protecting your partner. While you may not experience UTIs and other complications from sex, your partner may nevertheless be more susceptible. Sexual hygiene (and peeing after sex) can prevent you from being part of the problem.

• Keeping hydrated. Staying hydrated can improve the health of your skin, hair, cardiovascular system and mind. It can also be part of a list of lifestyle habits that boost immune performance and weight loss. Need to urinate after sex is a sign that you’re hydrating properly.

While it’s nice to think that HIV and chlamydia can be prevented by urinating after sex, the reality is that peeing after sex doesn’t prevent STDs.

This is, partly, because sexually transmitted infections can be transferred through the external genitalia — the penis, vulva, vaginal opening and vaginal canal — not just through urethral contact.

More accurately, however, many STDs can be spread instantaneously through contact with the genital area, or even during oral sex.

Forms of birth control like the contraceptive pill are, likewise, not able to prevent STDS.

Contraceptives like condoms are the only way to effectively reduce the risk of transmission.

Peeing after sex is not officially considered a preventative method for avoiding UTIs, but it is a beneficial process associated with a lower risk.

Women and men who experience recurrent urinary tract infections are often advised to pee after sexual activity because urinating is a natural way to flush bacteria, lubricants, contraceptives like spermicides, soaps, and other foreign substances from the urethra.

While this advice hasn’t been proven in studies, most healthcare professionals believe that the process of voiding the bladder can also purge unwanted bacteria and other foreign substances from the urethra.

There are no official guidelines on when is best to pee after sex. Most experts agree that the sooner you urinate, however, the more beneficial it will be to your sexual health and wellness. Leaving bacteria and other irritating substances in your urethra for too long can eventually lead to UTIs, resulting in painful urination and a burning sensation.

Making a habit of urination after ejaculation is also part of a generally healthy lifestyle – staying hydrated may lead to more frequent urination, but it also can help in the prevention of kidney stones.

Holding your urine, meanwhile, can cause complications that can lead to incontinence.

It might seem like a lower priority after intimacy, but heading to the bathroom to empty your bladder after sex is one of those healthy habits that can pay dividends down the road.

Consider the following:

• No, you might not be at risk of UTIs the way a female partner is, however you are still at risk.

• Though research hasn’t definitively linked the practice to reduced infections, most experts agree that it “can’t hurt.”

• Peeing as soon as possible is assumed to be the best advice, with some experts suggesting a half hour timeframe — more than enough time to have a glass of water and wait.

Experiencing some sexual function issues and worried they might be related to your urinary habits? It’s possible that erectile dysfunction could be the result of an infection, but more typically, it’s the result of cardiovascular or psychological risk factors.

A healthcare provider can diagnose the correct cause in your case, as well as offer ED treatment options tailored to your needs.

Not sure where to start? Reach out today — we can help.