Women who participated in the study were critical of healthcare providers for failing to understand their experiences while over-prescribing antibiotics as a treatment option. “We were inspired to conduct the study due to the large number of women coming to us feeling hopeless and helpless when it came to the management of their UTIs,” said lead author Victoria Scott, MD, a urologist at the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery clinic at Cedars-Sinai.

 

To help give voice to those suffering with recurrent urinary tract infections, researchers led a focus group study of 29 women who experienced recurrent UTIs to learn about gaps in their care. UTIs are infections of any part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder or the urethra. The term is most commonly used to describe a bladder infection. One of the biggest concerns expressed by study participants revolved around the frequent prescribing of antibiotics and fears of the potential adverse and long-term effects of the medication.