Urinary Tract Infections normally occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra and that is when it begins to multiply in the bladder. The urinary tract system is designed to keep such bacteria out, these defenses can however fail, and when they do, the bacteria can take hold and grow into a full-blown infection which is known as a urinary tract infection. Some of the most common urinary tract infections often occur in women and usually affect their bladder and urethra. The infection in the bladder is normally caused by E. Coli, which is a type of bacteria that is commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract. Sexual intercourse can cause issues and lead to cystitis; however, you do not need to be sexually active to develop a urinary tract infection. Many women are at a much higher risk of cystitis due to their anatomy, particularly due to the short distance of the urethra to the anus and then to the urethral opening to the bladder. Infections that are found in the urethra often occur when the gastrointestinal tract bacteria spreads from the anus to the urethra. This is due to the female anatomy where the urethra is close to the vagina, so sexually transmitted infections like herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma also cause urethritis.