Urinary tract infections (UTIs) cause more than 8.1 million visits to healthcare providers each year. Approximately 12% to 14% of men will have at least one UTI during their lifetime.[1]Infectious Diseases Society of America. Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI): clinical guidelines for treatment and management. 2025 [internet publication].
https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/complicated-urinary-tract-infections
[9]American Urological Association. Urinary tract infections in adults. Nov 2022 [internet publication].
https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/u/urinary-tract-infections-in-adults
In 2002, it was estimated that UTIs were the most common type of healthcare-associated infection in the US, accounting for more than 30% of all infections reported by acute care hospitals.[10]Klevens RM, Edwards JR, Richards CL Jr, et al. Estimating health care-associated infections and deaths in U.S. hospitals, 2002. Public Health Rep. 2007 Mar-Apr;122(2):160-6.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/003335490712200205
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17357358?tool=bestpractice.com
Virtually all healthcare-associated UTIs are caused by instrumentation of the urinary tract.[11]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infection control: v background: guideline for prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (2009). Apr 2024 [internet publication].
https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/cauti/background.html#:~:text=Urinary%20tract%20infections%20are%20the,reported%20by%20acute%20care%20hospitals.&text=Virtually%20all%20healthcare%2Dassociated%20UTIs,instrumentation%20of%20the%20urinary%20tract
Aging contributes to UTI occurrence in men, with studies showing the incidence of clinically diagnosed UTI in men per 100 person-years increasing from 2.81 in those ages 65-74 years to up to 10.54 in those ages over 85 years.[12]Ahmed H, Farewell D, Jones HM, et al. Incidence and antibiotic prescribing for clinically diagnosed urinary tract infection in older adults in UK primary care, 2004-2014. PLoS One. 2018 Jan 5;13(1):e0190521.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0190521
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29304056?tool=bestpractice.com
[13]Rodriguez-Mañas L. Urinary tract infections in the elderly: a review of disease characteristics and current treatment options. Drugs Context. 2020 Jul 8:9:2020-4-13.
https://www.drugsincontext.com/urinary-tract-infections-in-the-elderly:-a-review-of-disease-characteristics-and-current-treatment-options
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32699546?tool=bestpractice.com
[14]Schaeffer AJ, Nicolle LE. Clinical practice. Urinary tract infections in older men. N Engl J Med. 2016 Feb 11;374(6):562-71. UTIs rarely develop in men age before 50 years.[1]Infectious Diseases Society of America. Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI): clinical guidelines for treatment and management. 2025 [internet publication].
https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/complicated-urinary-tract-infections
[15]Griebling TL. Urologic diseases in america project: trends in resource use for urinary tract infections in men. J Urol. 2005 Apr;173(4):1288-94.
https://www.doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000155595.98120.8e
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15758784?tool=bestpractice.com
The incidence of UTI in men is highest among those residing in long-term care facilities.[1]Infectious Diseases Society of America. Complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI): clinical guidelines for treatment and management. 2025 [internet publication].
https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/complicated-urinary-tract-infections
[14]Schaeffer AJ, Nicolle LE. Clinical practice. Urinary tract infections in older men. N Engl J Med. 2016 Feb 11;374(6):562-71.[15]Griebling TL. Urologic diseases in america project: trends in resource use for urinary tract infections in men. J Urol. 2005 Apr;173(4):1288-94.
https://www.doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000155595.98120.8e
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15758784?tool=bestpractice.com
The ratio of UTI occurrence between institutionalized women and men is almost equal (2 to 3:1), unlike the ratio for younger women and men (25:1).[16]Shortliffe LM, McCue JD. Urinary tract infection at the age extremes: pediatrics and geriatrics. Am J Med. 2002 Jul 8;113(suppl 1A):55S-66S.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113872?tool=bestpractice.com
In addition, up to 40% of institutionalized men have asymptomatic bacteriuria.[6]Nicolle LE, Gupta K, Bradley SF, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: 2019 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 May 2;68(10):e83-e110.
https://www.doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciy1121
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30895288?tool=bestpractice.com
[15]Griebling TL. Urologic diseases in america project: trends in resource use for urinary tract infections in men. J Urol. 2005 Apr;173(4):1288-94.
https://www.doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000155595.98120.8e
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15758784?tool=bestpractice.com
[16]Shortliffe LM, McCue JD. Urinary tract infection at the age extremes: pediatrics and geriatrics. Am J Med. 2002 Jul 8;113(suppl 1A):55S-66S.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12113872?tool=bestpractice.com
Other risk factors correlating with increased incidence of UTI in men include a history of anal intercourse, which is associated with increased infection in both men and women.[17]Coull N, Mastoroudes H, Popert R, et al. Redefining urological history taking - anal intercourse as the cause of unexplained symptoms in heterosexuals. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2008 Jul;90(5):403-5.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645743
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18634737?tool=bestpractice.com
In one study, UTI was more common among men who have sex with men, compared to men who have sex with women alone.[18]Barnes RC, Roddy RF, Daifuku R, et al. Urinary-tract infection in sexually active homosexual men. Lancet. 1986 Jan 25;1(8474):171-3.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2868203?tool=bestpractice.com
Vaginal intercourse also may result in UTI if the vagina is colonized by pathogenic organisms.[19]Stamm WE, Hooton TM. Management of urinary tract infections in adults. N Engl J Med. 1993 Oct 28;329(18):1328-34.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8413414?tool=bestpractice.com