One third of women wipe ‘the wrong way’, increasing our risk of a UTI

Front to back, guys.

Front to back. If there's one thing most of us should have down, it's knowing how to wipe ourselves properly after we use the toilet. It's a straight-forward enough activity, one that is learned from a young age, and much akin to riding a bicycle, never forgotten. Despite this, it appears that a lot of us have been wiping the incorrect way, making us more vulnerable to nasty infections and UTIs. Grim enough sitch, in fairness. According to a survey conducted by Tap Warehouse, one in three women are wiping from back to front after they use the bathroom, rather than front to back. This can increase a woman's risk of getting a urinary tract infection as it makes it easier for bacteria to spread. "As a woman’s urethra and anus are quite closely located, it’s best practice to wipe from front to back to ensure minimal chance of spreading faeces from the anus to the urethra," explains Dr Luke Powles from Bupa UK. "Spreading bacteria to the urethra can lead to a urinary tract infection." Don't be too ashamed if you happen to one of the many who have been wiping the wrong way though - one in three is a lot of women so you're certainly not alone in your error. Just make sure you sort it out before you put your health at risk, yeah? UTIs happen for a couple of reasons, the most common being from the spread of bacteria as well as sexual intercourse. It is worth noting, however, that you don't need to be having active sexual intercourse to get a UTI. Rather, all women are at risk of the infection because of how close the urethra is to the anus and the urethral opening to the bladder. Great being a gal, isn't it?