Is it ok to go to a public pool with a UTI?

Hello Anonymous,

Welcome to EmpowHER and thank you for reaching out to us for advice regarding going swimming in a public pool when you have a urinary tract infection.

If you have started antibiotic therapy to treat the infection, you should be okay. Always check with your physician.

Where you swim matters. The chlorine and chemicals used to treat a pool might cause irriation and make urination more painful. Any swimming water that you encounter, in a pool, at a beach or lake, does not enter your urinary tract.

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of your urinary system — your kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Most infections involve the lower urinary tract — the bladder and the urethra. Urinary tract infections typically occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and begin to multiply in the bladder.

Regards,
Maryann