Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes and is not meant to diagnose or treat any specific illness or disease. Please get in touch with your medical professional for personalized advice.
If you were assigned female at birth, you have probably experienced a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in your life. That means you also understand how awful it is to have one. If you are one of the unlucky ones, like me, who get them several times a year, you probably wish there was a way to keep it in check. Let’s talk about Utiva and its mission to do just that.
It wasn’t until after I was married that my UTI issue became a real concern and after my son was born, it just got worse. I learned that my increased frequency in infections was because I was sexually active. My doctor gave me some tips, like going to the bathroom after intercourse and making sure I drink plenty of water, but even that didn’t eliminate my problem. I’m prone to them by nature. It sucks.
What is Utiva?
Recently, I was introduced to Utiva to help manage my symptoms and reoccurrences through supplements, at-home tests, and cleansing wipes. Utiva is a Canadian-based company that offers a wide range of bladder and digestive products, but this post will focus on the ones specifically for UTI prevention and care.
In addition to the physical products, Utiva also has an app that lets you track your symptoms and infections so you can give your doctor the best information possible. It’s a straightforward user interface and I recommend you check it out to see if it will work for you.
Preventative Products
For preventative measures, I’ve been taking the Cranberry PAC’s. These water-soluble pills have 36 mg of soluble proanthocyanidins (PACs for short – aka the bioactive component of cranberries) and is known for its ability to help aid in urinary tract health. They boast to be the only natural product that urologists recommend. Dosing is one pill per day for adults.
PACs are all nature and are made with cranberries sourced from North America then manufactured in Canada. All capsules are vegan, GMO-free, halal and free of gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, and nuts.
You can get the PACs in bottles of 30, 60, or 90 days supplies ranging from $45 to $120. You can save by subscribing (and since this is a supplement that you won’t likely be stopping, subscription makes sense here).
They recommend taking it for four weeks before looking for any change in your frequency or comfort. I’ve been taking them for about three weeks now and I have noticed a comfortable difference in my bladder control and comfort.
At Home Comfort
The UTI at-home test strips are necessary for someone who gets them frequently because why do you want to run up to the doctor every time you get symptoms? By having something on hand, I can take a test as soon as my symptoms start, have a virtual appointment with my doctor (most of the time, the same day through my health insurance), and get my meds quicker and cheaper than if I went in each time.
The test strips test for both leukocytes (white blood cells) and nitrites (E.coli) in your urine. Results show up in 2 minutes. They come with three strips per box in packs of one or three. One box of three strips will run you about $8.99 ($6.74 if you subscribe) and a three-pack (9 strips total) will run you $25 (or $18.20 if you subscribe).
Give It A Shot
UTIs are just a part of life for some of us but that doesn’t mean we can’t be proactive with prevention and taking action as soon as our symptoms hit. Using Utiva’s UTI tracker app (iOS and Android), taking daily supplements, and having test strips on had, is the right step to taking care of ourselves. It goes without saying that you should talk to your doctor before taking any supplements to make sure they do not conflict with anything you are currently taking and that it’s right for you!
Disclaimer: GeekDad was given a review sample.
