Recurrent UTIs are UTIs that occur repeatedly over a period of time. Usually, a person experiences two or more urinary tract infections in 6 months, or three or more in 12 months. Urinary tract infections are characterized by symptoms including burning pain with urination, suprapubic pain or pain in the lower part of the abdomen, urinary urgency, having a sudden desire to urinate that you can’t delay and urinary frequency or going to the bathroom most often. The presence of infection is usually confirmed with a urine culture that confirms the presence of bacteria in the urine.

Recurrent UTIs can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

• Structural abnormalities in the urinary tract
• Blockages in the urinary tract, such as kidney stones
• An enlarged prostate gland in men
• A weakened immune system
• Poor hygiene
• Using certain types of birth control or postmenopausal estrogen therapy
• Having diabetes

Recurrent UTIs can be treated with antibiotics, but it’s important to identify and address the underlying cause of the infections to prevent them from happening again.