Previous research has described the urinary tract as sterile because of the physical and chemical properties of urine. More recently, though, studies have identified a urinary microbiome in both male and female adults.
According to the American Society for Microbiology, the urinary tract (UT) involves the kidney, ureter, bladder, and urethral, and the urogenital tract (UGT) includes reproductive organs, including the vagina, cervix, periurethral skin, penis, pubic skin surfaces, and perineal area. “Depending on the sampling method, the urinary microbiota may consist of species residing within the bladder, UT, or UGT,” they write.
The urinary microbiome is made up of different species of bacteria and can differ depending on age and sex, states the Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports. Men are more likely to have Corynebacterium, similar to the skin microbiome, while a female urinary microbiome is more likely to have Lactobacillus bacterium, similar to the gut.
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