Scarleteen

Hello. I've heard multiple times about the importance of peeing after sex, but it has not been explained to me exactly why.
I mean, I know (or think?) it's about avoiding UTIs, but I don't know exactly what causes the risk, and so I don't know exactly which situations the advice applies to.

More specifically: I do not have sex (nor do I want to), but I do masturbate. Is it important to pee after masturbating too? Does it depend on some things (like what your genitals are like, how you do it, ...) ? I wanna know if I'm risking anything if I don't always go pee after, but I haven't been able to find a clear answer.

Hi PDL, and welcome to the boards!

You’re right about this! Peeing after any sexual activity can help prevent UTIs because it helps clear out any bacteria that may have gotten pushed into the urethra during sexual activity. The bacteria that gets pushed into the urethra to cause a UTI can come from a sexual partner, and it can also come from bacteria in your vagina if you have one, or anus, being pushed to the urethra during masturbation. So, it’s a good idea to urinate after sexual activity if you can. If you don’t feel like you have to, don’t try to force it, as that can cause tension in the pelvic floor; it’s just a good practice to do when you can. To minimize the risk of UTIs, it’s also important to always wash your hands before and after masturbation, and clean any sex toys after each use.

One factor is the question of whether you are getting UTIs?

If you aren't getting UTIs from masturbating and are doing things like basic handwashing etc, you can also just go pee when you're good and ready!