The following are measures that studies suggest may reduce the
incidence of urinary tract infections. These may be appropriate
for people, especially women, with recurrent infections: - Do
not delay urination when it is necessary. - Cleaning the
urethral meatus (the opening of the urethra) after intercourse
has been shown to be of some benefit; however, whether this is
done with an antiseptic or a placebo ointment (an ointment
containing no active ingredient) does not appear to matter. - It
has been advocated that cranberry juice can decrease the
incidence of UTI (some of these opinions are referenced in
External Links section). A specific type of tannin, called A
Type Proanthocyanidin, found only in cranberries and blueberries
prevents the adherence of certain pathogens (eg. ''E. coli'') to
the epithelium of the urinary bladder. A review by the Cochrane
Collaboration of randomized controlled trials states "some
evidence from trials to show cranberries (juice and capsules)
can prevent recurrent infections in