Research Updates . Summer 1999-2000 . Way Bethesda, MD 20892-3560 tel. Among infections, only respiratory infections are more common than UTIs. Women are disproportionately affected and have a 1 in 5 chance of getting at least one UTI during their lifetime.
Some women suffer recurrent UTIs, as many as three or more a year.
This knowledge has been valuable in the development of new therapies to treat and even prevent UTIs. One of the most promising lines of research is the development of a vaccine to prevent UTIs. In the late seventies, researchers noted the presence of an antibody in the vaginal secretions of women who were not susceptible to recurrent UTIs. Women with recurrent UTIs were much less likely to have the antibody. A recent phase II trial with 96 women tested a vaccine delivered through a vaginal suppository.