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Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary system
Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that usually develops when bacteria enter the opening of the urethra and multiply in the urinary tract. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), the bladder, and the tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body (urethra).
The ureter at the bladder has a special construction that helps prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys, and the flow of urine through the urethra helps to expel bacteria.
Women develop the condition much more often than men, for reasons that are not fully known, although the much shorter female urethra is suspected. One woman in five develops a UTI during her lifetime. UTIs in men are not as common as in women but can be very serious when they do occur.
Next: Urinary tract infection types