More than seven in ten men in the UK do not believe urinary tract infections (UTIs) are painful – despite them leading to more than 800,000 hospital admissions across the country between 2018 and 2023.
UTIs cause a severe burning sensation when urinating and can trigger constant pain or pressure in the lower abdomen. If severe or left untreated, they can develop into kidney infections or even sepsis.
And while women are 30 times more likely to suffer, men can also develop the nasty infection.
But 71 per cent, however, do not think UTIs are painful, research from medical testing brand Newfoundland Diagnostics has revealed.
More than seven in ten men in the UK do not believe urinary tract infections are painful
Experts claim this is now making women embarrassed to seek medical treatment for the condition and are hesitant about potentially ‘wasting’ NHS time.
‘UTIs should not be taken lightly,’ GP Dr Hilary Jones explains.
‘While often regarded as a common infection that disproportionately impacts women, if left untreated a UTI can lead to serious kidney infections and even life-threatening blood infections.
‘We must all do better to take even the most common of infections seriously, as well as be empathetic to the experiences of others.’
The study also showed that 40 per cent of women say they’ve been accused of exaggerating their UTI pain by doctors.
While women are more than 30 times more likely to suffer, men can also develop nasty symptoms
While most cases can be treated with antibiotics, some can develop into serious complications.
Older adults are at particular risk for hospitalisation from UTIs – and are more likely to experience behavioural changes as a symptom such as agitation or confusion.
Data from the NHS and UK Health Security Agency showed that there were more than 1.8 million hospital admissions involving UTIs between 2018 and 2023 – the majority of which involved patients aged over 65. Some 800,000 were as a direct result of the infection.
As part of its campaign to raise awareness on UTIs, Newfoundland Diagnostics is launching its own self-testing kit, which will soon be available at pharmacies across the UK.