Managing Urinary Tract Infections when Traveling

Last Updated: December 12, 2019January 24, 2020

Most travel insurance policies include coverage for medical emergencies that occur during your trip. To determine what is covered in your policy, check your policy’s certificate for a list of covered events under the Emergency Medical benefit.

Daniel L. Watson, M.D.

If you are a woman who suffers from frequent (more than two or three per year) urinary tract infections, here is some advice:

Ask your family doctor or urologist for an antibiotic prescription before your trip. That way you will have your medication on hand if an infection occurs and thus avoid a trip to a crowded emergency room.

Consider picking up some “azo-standard” before you leave. This is an over-the-counter medication that will ease the burning symptom (but does not treat the underlying infection).

If your trip is romantic in nature, realize that greater than 90% of UTI’s in women are related to (caused by) sexual intercourse–hence the term “honeymoon cystitis” (cystitis is the medical term for bladder infection).

If you are a man who has had recurrent prostatitis or epididymitis:

See your doctor and get an antibiotic before your trip.

These infections in men are not related to intercourse. In fact, some urologists believe that frequent intercourse can decrease the incidence of these types of infections in men–especially prostatitis.

Remember, always pack your medications in your carry-on luggage.