Urinary tract infection in a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases

A study of the prevalence of urinary tract infection (UTI) in 430 women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases and its relationship to sexual activity is presented. UTI, usually asymptomatic, was found to be slightly more common in women attending the clinic than in the general population, its prevalence being 4.9%. UTI was more commonly found in patients who gave a history of recent sexual intercourse, which suggests that recent coitus was a factor in the development of significant bacteriuria. The likelihood of finding significant bacteriuria was not related to the number of sexual partners in the previous year. Trichomoniasis was more common in the small group of patients with UTI than in other women. The most common causative organism of UTI was Escherichia coli, and the isolates were usually sensitive to ampicillin, sulphonamides, trimethoprim, and nitrofurantoin.