CONDOM USE AND FIRST TIME URINARY-TRACT INFECTION

We evaluated the effects of condom use, lubricated condom use, and spe rmicide use on risk oi acquiring first urinary tract infection in a ca se-control study of sexually active college women ages 18-39 years. Ca ses (N = 144) were women with first urinary tract infection that was c onfirmed by culture recruited at the student health service; controls (N = 286) were women without a history of urinary trace infection who were randomly sampled from all women enrolled at the university. Parti cipants completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding type and frequency of condom use during the previous 2 weeks. Condoms and sper micides usually were used in combination with each other or oral contr aceptives. After adjusting for frequency of vaginal intercourse, using unlubricated condoms compared with using no birth control method stro ngly increased the risk of first urinary tract infection (odds ratio = 29.1; 95% confidence interval = 3.1-1,335). Using a lubricated condom (with or without spermicide in the lubricant) or a spermicidal cream or gel with an unlubricated condom was associated with two- to eightfo ld risk of first urinary tract infection. Unlubricated condom use was strongly associated with risk of first urinary tract infection, but th is effect was largely neutralized by using a spermicidal cream or gel with the unlubricated condom or by using a lubricated condom.