The client, a teenage girl, asks the school nurse why she is getting frequent urinary tract ...

4. In what direction do you wipe after a bowel movement?

Rationale:
The most important teaching to provide females is always to wipe the peri-anal/genital area from front to back. E-coli are the most common micro-organisms responsible for urinary tract infections and can easily be dragged into the urethral orifice by wiping from the anus to the urethra after defecation. Females do have a shorter urethra compared to males and are more susceptible to urinary tract infections for this reason. Although sitting in a soapy bath may increase the risk for vaginal irritations, personal hygiene practices, such as cleansing after a bowel movement, is a priority teaching instruction to include for this client. Urinary tract infections are not associated with families or genetics.