Are your undies giving you recurring UTIs?
UTI’s are one of womanhood’s unfortunate perils. Some of us are lucky to never experience even one in a lifetime, while others develop a ghastly and chronic habit of catching them on the reg. Recurring UTI’s torturous, inconvenient and downright aggravating nuisances, but they can also be avoided.
UTI is an acronym for a Urinary Tract Infection. A UTI occurs when unwanted bacteria enter your urinary tract, multiply, and cause infection. The most common bacteria to cause a UTI is Escherichia coli (E. coli). And it is usually spread from the anus to the urethra (wee hole), prompting symptoms like tingling/stinging, being perpetually busting to wee (despite only just having gone to the toilet a moment ago), and discomfort in your lower abdomen.
As it turns out, a woman’s urinary tract is shorter than a male’s, allowing bacteria a smaller trajectory to ruin our day. Also, a woman's urethra is in closer proximity to the vagina and anus compared to a males, meaning there's greater opportunity for bacteria from both of those areas to spread into the urethra and cause infection. Anatomy, why us?
So, how to stop a UTI in the first place? Luckily, Vee’s very existence was built on the mission to end female health stigmas and minimise your chance of developing annoying, time wasters like recurring UTI’s and recurring yeast infections. Today, we’re arming you with the actionable undies advice required to break up with UTI’s for good. Let’s get down to business.
1. Stop Wearing Synthetic Underwear
Synthetic fabrics are like a bacterial oasis, and one of the leading reasons for recurrent UTI’s. Those little microscopic bugs thrive in damp, hot and constricted conditions with minimal airflow — ATT: polyester, lace, lycra and nylon. So while you think an exorbitantly lacy pair of undies might feel sexy at first, you may be compromising your own health. In lieu of risky synthetics, Vee’s bamboo underwear offers a soft, stretchy alternative and the fabric is 3x more breathable than cotton. The fabric also 4x more absorbent than cotton, proving you with all the properties you need to fend off UTIs. There’s even a lace trim to deliver that little touch of va va voom you’re reluctant to give up.
2. Always Change Your Undies Post-Workout
How to stop getting a UTI 101: after a sticky spin class, long run or intense stint at hot pilates, you’re going to want to get those undies changed, pronto. While it’s tempting to spend the day in our athleisure wear and float from movement to markets to coffee meetups and well into happy-hour, your underwear is locking in a lot of sweat from the morning’s PE. Why? For the same aforementioned reason — the more moisture generated and lingering, the more likely you are to cop a bacterial infection in your intimate regions.
It’s also worth remembering that tight leggings or bike shorts allow for little ventilation in the crotch area, creating another layer of high-risk moisture-trapping.
If you’re time-poor or have a non-negotiable list of things to do post-gym, opting for breathable and moisture-wicking fabrics like bamboo is essential.
3. Be Cautious With Wearing Gstring's
G-strings are phenomenal. They don’t show in figure-hugging dresses, tailored pants or workout gear, and some of us just hands-down prefer a barely-there feel. If you’re a G-string ride-or-die kind of operator, may we suggest subbing synthetic G-strings for Vee’s bamboo GString? This is one of the easiest shortcuts to remedying recurrent UTI’s. As Gstrings — for lack of a better phrase — ride right up your bum, bacteria can be easily transferred from back to front (if you catch our drift). This is the same theory behind always wiping from the front to the back, and never vice versa. Thankfully, Vee’s bamboo material is also naturally antibacterial, meaning you can feel confident in wearing a G-string that won’t come back to bite you in the…well…ass. You can read more about choosing the right G-string here.
4. Go Hypoallergenic When You Wash
For the sensitive skin gals among us, this piece of advice is two-pronged. Washing your underwear in a good hypoallergenic soap or detergent is a surefire way to minimise your chances of irritation down there. Alternatively, Vee’s bamboo fabrication make them NATURALLY hypoallergenic (praise be). So donning these, AND washing them with a hypoallergenic soap is a UTI-fighter’s secret weapon in minimising their chance of miserable Ural-filled days.
5. Old Kickers Are Crawling With E.coli - Replace Them Often
This one’s an underrated MUST for preventing recurrent UTI’s. Monitoring your dresser drawer to see who’s time is up can be one of the smartest preventatives in causing UTI infections. Many of us are likely guilty of never really heeding attention to the life cycle of our knickers, but truth be told, even your fave pairs should only be around for 6-12 months. This is all down to the gradual accumulation of living bacteria in ALL underwear — yep, even the high-performing bamboo kind of underwear, too.
Old underwear is a harbour for e.coli bacteria (found in human faeces), which continues to live even after the deepest of cleans. Remember how we mentioned that the most common bacteria to cause a UTI is e.coli... well this is why. According to The Good Housekeeping Institute, 83 per cent of clean underwear already contains roughly 10,000 living bacteria. Starting afresh every quarter of the year might just be the best reminder you’ve ever put in that calendar, girl.
Vee’s bamboo underwear range has been specifically designed for everyday wear, with femme care being our top priority. This buttery-soft bamboo material gently cradles your bits while feeling barely-there. Oh, and we can guarantee you’ll look chic AF while wearing them, too. We’re not compromising on style to give you great hoo-ha health. Turns out, with Vee you can have it all.
Doing an underwear drawer audit right now? Girl, same.
