From Susan Breslow Sardone,
Your Guide to Honeymoons / Romantic Travel.
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Ouch! A honeymoon is supposed to be pure pleasure – but what happens when the bride starts feeling sick during the honeymoon, and sex becomes a dreadful act? Honeymoon cystitis is the term for a urinary tract infection that can occur as a result of irritation and bruising from frequent and prolonged sexual intercourse. The majority of sufferers are female, and it's not uncommon for a woman to suffer the first outbreak on her honeymoon.

Symptoms of honeymoon cystitis may include a burning or painful sensation during urination, the urge to urinate frequently, cloudy urine, blood-tinged urine, and/or pain above the pubic bone — any of which will put a damper on honeymoon lovemaking.

Honeymoon cystitis is actually a form of urethritis. Rather than the bladder being involved, it’s a localized inflammation of the urethra. That's the tube near the front of the vagina, through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside.

The common cause of honeymoon cystitis is the introduction of E. coli bacteria (which normally lives in the bowel) into the urethra. This bacteria begins to replicate, which leads to infection. In addition to the possibility of it occurring after frequent, strenuous intercourse, honeymoon cystitis can also start when an unclean finger, penis, or other object is inserted from the anus into the vagina. Women who wipe from back to front, rather than from vagina to anus, are also at higher risk for this infection.

Symptoms of honeymoon cystitis generally emerge within a day or two after bacteria are introduced into the urethra. A physician can confirm the diagnosis of infection through a simple urine test.

Treatment for Honeymoon Cystitis

Once a doctor identifies honeymoon cystitis, or urethritis, as the source of a woman’s discomfort, the physician is likely to prescribe a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection and Pyridium for the pain.

An analgesic that helps relieve the burning, the urgency of urination, and the irritation in the lower urinary tract, Pyridium is generally prescribed for only two days’ use. It temporarily turns urine a bright orange-red color. Abstention from sex, until the infection clears up, is generally advised.

Soaking in warm, non-soapy water can provide additional relief to the area, and drinking plenty of fluids will help to flush the infection out more quickly.

Prevention of Honeymoon Cystitis

Simple precautions can help ensure that honeymoon cystitis does not recur:

- Drink plenty of water (8 glasses a day is recommended)
- Drink cranberry juice
- Avoid coffee
- Urinate immediately before and after sexual activity to flush bacteria from the urethra
- When you’re ready to resume penis-vagina sex, consider applying a water-based lubricant to the vaginal area to ease insertion
- See a urologist or gynecologist for further treatment if the infection returns post-honeymoon.