Many people – including doctors – believe urine is sterile. But researchers have found bacteria are present in the bladders of some healthy women, debunking the common myth.
The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, was conducted by researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
"Doctors have been trained to believe that urine is germ-free," said Dr. Linda Brubaker. "However, these findings challenge this notion, so this research may have positive implications for how we treat patients with urinary tract conditions in the future."
This study evaluated the urine of women who had symptoms of urinary tract infections. The tests determined that the women’s bladders can contain certain forms of bacteria that are not identified by urine culture techniques that are typically used to diagnose UTIs.
Loyola researchers now plan to study which bacteria are helpful and which are harmful.
"Further studies are needed to determine if the bacteria found in the bladders of women in this study are relevant to urinary tract conditions," Brubaker said. "If that is the case, these studies could make it possible to identify women who are at-risk for these conditions, which may change how we manage patients."