It was only third period, but Tracy had already visited the
bathroom six times that morning. Sometimes she barely had time
to ask the teacher for permission because the urge to pee was so
intense. Did she drink too much orange juice for breakfast? Nope
— although she really had to go, only a little urine came out
each time. And every time she peed, she felt a burning
sensation. What was going on? Tracy's experience is not unusual.
Her problem, a urinary tract infection, is one of the most
common reasons that teens — especially girls — visit a doctor.
What Is a Urinary Tract Infection? A bacterial urinary tract
infection (UTI) is the most common kind of infection affecting
the urinary tract. Urine, or pee, is the fluid that is filtered
out of the bloodstream by the kidneys. Urine contains salts and
waste products, but it doesn't normally contain bacteria. When
bacteria get into the bladder or kidney and multiply in the
urine, a UTI can result. There are three main types of UTI.
Bacteria that infect only the ur