Urinary Tract Infections in Women

A woman's anatomy also makes it more likely that she will get urinary tract infections than a man. One reason for this is that her urethra (the tube that carries urine outside the body) is shorter than in a man. A woman's urethra is only about an inch and a half compared to a man's urethra, which is about eight inches long.

This means that it's easier for bacteria from outside sources like the rectum to work its way up to the bladder and cause an infection.