Organization of
Red Umbrella New Zealand
Cystitis CYSTITIS
Many sex workers are familiar with similar experiences: they have a burning sensation and need to go to the toilet frequently.
What is cystitis?
Cystitis refers to inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis is inflammation caused by bladder infection. Inflammation can be caused by a variety of chemical and / or physical irritation.
How do you know that I have cystitis?
Signs and symptoms include some and all of the following characteristics:
Burning pain in the urethra during or after urination
Not much urine volume per time, but frequent urination
Urine smells unpleasant.
Pain in the lower abdomen, sudden pain in the genital area
Get up repeatedly at night to urinate.
Important note: If discomfort or pain in the middle back area is a symptom that the infected area spreads to the kidneys. should
See a doctor immediately.
How did you get cystitis?
The urethra is the tube through which urine passes through the bladder to the outside of the body. The urethra is very close to some parts of the skin that store a lot of bacteria
Bacteria only need to travel 4-6 mm along our urethra to reach the bladder. Most bacteria are attached to the skin
Generally, it does not cause harm to the skin. But if bacteria enter the urethra and bladder, it will cause inflammation.
Generally, people with vaginas are more likely to develop cystitis than those with penis.
A lot of sexual intercourse can cause trauma to the urethra and bladder because they are very close to the front wall of the vagina. During intercourse
Friction is the main irritation, which can cause cystitis.
Soap, bath salts, talcum powder and other scented products can be irritants. If you feel that you have to use soap on the genital area, which may cause cystitis, please try to keep it to a minimum when using it.
How to treat cystitis?
Diagnose by urine test. If cystitis is caused by a bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics
treatment.
To help reduce the discomfort caused by cystitis, it is recommended to drink plenty of water (1.5 to 2 liters/day). You need to expel the infection, dilute the urine, and relieve the symptoms at the same time. When you feel symptoms of cystitis, you need to avoid tea, coffee, cola drinks, including alcohol that can irritate the bladder.
Another thing to try is to drink a cup of soda that is diluted by a spoonful. You can buy URAL or Citravescent at any pharmacy. But they can't treat cystitis, they can only help you temporarily relieve the pain.
A hot bath can also work, or sometimes a hot water bottle is used. It is important not to hold back urine and go to the toilet more often. Some women once brought a book and a large bottle of water and stayed in the toilet until the symptoms eased. Stop sexual intercourse and use tampons at the same time until the symptoms subsided --- but for sex workers, this is not very practical.
What will happen to my sex partner?
It is unlikely that cystitis will infect your partner. However, it is recommended to avoid vaginal intercourse, because it will aggravate the symptoms.
How can I protect myself from cystitis?
In order to prevent damage caused by friction, the easiest way is to make sure you are using enough water-based lubrication
Agents, such as KY or Wetstuff, should be used not only at work but also in your personal life. Make sure you are using fresh lubricant pipes, as old pipes may be exposed to bacteria that breed. If you use it quickly at work, this shouldn't be a problem. Drinking a lot of water can also reduce the chance of cystitis and keep the body hydrated at all times!
Of course, condoms are an important protective measure at work every time. If you and each other are single
For sex partners, condoms may not be very important. But if not, no doubt condoms are very important.
It is also important to urinate more and clean as soon as possible after sex. When you are with a personal sex partner, this may make you feel troublesome, especially when you want to fall asleep after being lingering, but if you end up with cystitis, it can be a big trouble. Don't wear tights, it is also a good way to avoid cystitis.
Remember urine after wiping the genitals, the front (vaginal) rearward (anus), so to avoid the bacteria to the urethra.
It is very important: after 24 hours, if the symptoms do not disappear, you have to see a doctor and need antibiotic treatment . Even if your symptoms diminish, it is a good way to see a doctor. Because the symptoms of cystitis and other sexually transmitted diseases are very similar.
Need more information?
Contact NZPC or your local sexual health clinic
CYSTITIS
Many sex workers are familiar with the burning sensation and the needing to run off to the toilet frequently.
WHAT IS CYSTITIS?
Cystitis means inflammation of the bladder. Cystitis can be caused by infection but inflammation can arise from a variety of chemical and/or physical irritations.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE CYSTITIS?
Signs and symptoms include any or all of the following:
A burning or painful feeling during or immediately after passing urine.
Passing small amounts of urine more frequently.
Smelly urine.
Lower abdominal pain, sudden pain in the genital area
Repeatedly getting out of bed at night to pass urine.
IMPORTANT: Pain or ache in the central back may indicate that the infection has gone up to the kidneys, this needs a doctor immediately.
HOW DO I GET CYSTITIS?
The urethra is the tube through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside. Our urethras open onto the skin where there are plenty of germs including those from the bowel and vagina.
Bacteria only have to travel 4-6 mm along our urethras to reach our bladders. Most bacteria generally do no harm and stay on the skin but if they get into the urethra and bladder they cause inflammation. Ouch!
People who have a vagina are more likely to get CYSTITIS than people who have a penis.
Having a lot of sex can cause trauma to the urethra and bladder as they are very close to the front wall of the vagina. Friction resulting from intercourse is a major irritant and can trigger cystitis
Soaps, bath salts, talcum powders, and other scented products can act as irritants. If you feel you absolutely have to use soap on the genital area and are prone to cystitis, try to keep it to a minimum.
CAN CYSTITIS BE TREATED?
Diagnosis is made by having a urine test. A doctor can prescribe antibiotics if the cause of the cystitis is due to a bacterial infection.
To help reduce the discomfort caused by cystitis it is recommended to drink plenty of water (1.5 to 2 litres per day). You need to flush out the infection and dilute your urine, which should also ease the symptoms. when you feel cystitis symptoms, you will need to avoid tea, coffee, cola drinks, and alcohol as they can irritate the bladder.
Another thing to try is drinking one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water. sachets such as URAL sachets or Citravescent can be bought at any pharmacy. This will not treat the cystitis, it will only make the pain less-temporarily.
Hot baths can also help – or sometimes hot water bottles. It's important to keep going to the toilet and to avoid holding on. Some women said they set themselves up with a book and a big bottle of water and literally stayed close to the toilet until the attack started to subside. It can also be helpful to avoid having intercourse and using tampons until the symptoms have passed – not very practical for sex workers.
WHAT ABOUT MY PARTNER?
It is unlikely to spread cystitis to your sexual partner; however, it is advised to avoid vaginal sex because this can worsen your symptoms.
HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF FROM CYSTITIS?
The easiest way to prevent attacks caused by friction is to make sure you are using enough water-based lubricant, like KY or Wetstuff, not only at work but in your personal life too. Make sure you are using fresh tubes of lubricant as old stock may have been exposed to bacteria. This shouldn't be a problem if you're working as products get used up quickly. Drinking lots of water is also shown to decrease cystitis incidents. So stay hydrated always!
Of course condoms at work every time are another important prevention technique. If you and your partner are in a monogamous relationship condoms may not feature but if you have more than one partner, then no doubt condoms will feature there too.
Another thing to do is to always have a pee and a wash as soon as possible after sex. With personal partners this can be a real hassle, especially when you feel like snuggling up and going to sleep, but the consequences of having a cystitis attack can be an even bigger hassle. It's also a good idea not to wear tight crutch hugging clothes.
Remember to wipe your bum from the front (vagina) to the back (anus) after urinating to avoid transferring bacteria to the urethra.
It's important that if symptoms do not go away after 24 hours to see a doctor as you will need antibiotics. It's a good idea to see a doctor even if the attack subsides, as cystitis symptoms are similar to those which can show up for other sexually transmitted diseases.
MORE INFORMATION?
Contact NZPC or your local Sexual Health Clinic.