The Facts
The urinary tract includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are far more common in women than men. Urinary
tract infections have different names depending on which part of the urinary
tract is infected.
- infection of the bladder is cystitis
- infection of the urethra is urethritis
- infection of the kidney is pyelonephritis
Among newborns, UTIs are more common in boys, but by one year of age, they
are ten times more likely to occur in girls. The rate of infection is 50 times
higher for sexually active women - between 16 and 35 years old - than for men.
As many as 40% of North American women have had at least one UTI. Among elderly
people, the gender difference in infection rates diminishes.