Clarion Brands survey finds 16% of women with UTI infections turn to OTC solution

TREVOSE, Pa. - According to a survey released Thursday by Clarion Brands, makers of Cystex, about 60% of women will contract a urinary tract infection at some point in their lives. And of that 60%, approximately 40% will have another. 

 

To put that into perspective, UTIs account for more than 8 million doctor visits each year, making it the second most common type of infection in the body. Yet despite the prevalence of UTIs, the survey found that among women ages 18-54, half of women believe having a UTI would be embarrassing.

 

“The fact that half of women think a UTI is embarrassing and a large number feel judged for having one is simply not right given that millions of us will contract the infection at least once,” stated Jennifer Moyer, VP marketing and sales at Clarion Brands. “By educating women about UTIs and how they are really caused, we hope to normalize the infection and stop the myths from persisting.”

 

“UTIs are caused by a variety of different reasons and there shouldn’t be any shame associated with contracting one,” stated Yvonne Bohn, Cystex spokesperson. “The embarrassment that this survey confirms is unwarranted because UTIs are so common - and they are already painful enough.”

 

The survey, conducted online by Harris Poll among 622 U.S. women ages 18-54, also found that 2 in 5 (41%) of women indicated that they believe people are judgmental of women who have a UTI.

 

Almost all women who have previously had a UTI (99%) agree that they want to take a UTI head on when they think they have one by taking some form of action. Specifically, 39% say their first step would be to schedule an appointment with their primary care physician and 16% say their first step would be to take an over-the-counter product to relieve the pain and stop the infection. 

 

“The only way to treat a UTI is through a doctor-prescribed antibiotic, but there are ways you can ease the pain and prevent the infection from getting worse while you await an appointment, such as taking an OTC product like Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets,” Bohn said. “UTI symptoms typically go away within days of proper treatment with doctor-prescribed antibiotics, and it is important to take the entire course of antibiotics even if symptoms have improved to be sure to eradicate all of the bacteria in the urinary tract.”