Reasons for the Patients Contracting Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and dangerous. Vulnerable people to UTIs go through multiple infections including, acute pyelonephritis, uro-sepsis as well as asymptomatic bacteriuria. Following the results from diagnosis which show both father and daughter to have contracted some form of UTI, different hypothesis can be used to point out the reason that led to the two getting infected. Sexual intercourse, E.coli, as well as genetics, stand out as the primary causes that might have led both individuals contracting UTI.
Sexual intercourse can lead to one getting a urinary tract infection if bacteria from a partner’s anus, fingers, genitals as well as sex toys penetrate into the other partner’s urethra. As much as UTIs cannot be passed on from one individual to the other through sexual intercourse like STDs, engaging in sexual activities can result in UTIs or even worsen the infection. Engaging in sexual activities does not necessarily lead to UTIs, but anything that leads to bacteria making contact with the urethra can result in getting infected (Mohiuddin, 2019). Seen as the daughter is sexually active, contracting UTI by engaging in sex cannot be ruled out in her case. She might have gotten the bacteria from her partners’ genitals or fingers during her sexual encounters.
E.coli are part of bacteria found in the large intestine. In some instances, the bacteria can move from the anus into the urethra and, from there, travel up to the bladder. If left untreated, it can worsen by infecting the kidneys. E.coli can easily get to women’s bladders in comparison to men since they have shorter urethras. In addition, women’s urethra is close to the anus. These are the main reasons why doctors advise women to wipe fully from front to back after using the washroom (Lob et al. 2016). E.coli, therefore, stands out as the likely cause for the daughter contracting the UTI. Contrary, the father might not have gotten the UTI from anal bacteria since the chances of E.coli traveling from a male’s anus into his urethra are quite slim. Also, experts assert that the lifetime risk of men getting infected with UTI averages close to 1 in 10 men, a far cry from women, which is 1 in every two women.
Genetics is also recognized to be a contributing factor that has led to some women as well as men getting UTIs. The shape of some individuals’ urinary tract makes them susceptible to infection, specifically women. Individuals ailing from diabetes, too, are more vulnerable to the infections since their immune systems are weak resultantly making their bodies less able to fight off diseases. Recent findings point out that gene deletions disrupting innate immune activation either lead to the development of acute morbidity and disease or enhance asymptomatic bacteriuria. Promoter polymorphisms and transcription factor variants that have an impact on these genes are linked to vulnerability in UTI-prone patients (Ambite et al. 2016). With this in mind, one can assume both father and daughter might have contracted the UTIs due to their genetic composition that predisposes them to the infection.
References
Ambite, I., Rydstrom, G., Schwaderer, A. L., & Hains, D. S. (2016). The genetics of urinary tract infections and the innate defense of the kidney and urinary tract. Journal of pediatric genetics, 5(01), 025-032.
Lob, S. H., Nicolle, L. E., Hoban, D. J., Kazmierczak, K. M., Badal, R. E., & Sahm, D. F. (2016). Susceptibility patterns and ESBL rates of Escherichia coli from urinary tract infections in Canada and the United States, SMART 2010–2014. Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease, 85(4), 459-465.
Mohiuddin, A. K. (2019). Alternative Management of Uncomplicated UTIs In Women. J Urol Neph St, 2(2), 147-151.