Science / Medicine : Drugs May Prevent Tract Infection

A combination of antibiotics taken after intercourse appears to be highly effective in preventing urinary tract infections among women prone to such disorders, researchers reported last week. The drugs involved are commonly sold under the trade names Bactrim and Septra.

Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle said they tested a group of women who had suffered at least two urinary tract infections in the preceding year. Some were given tablets made of 40 milligrams of trimethoprim and 200 milligrams of sulfamethoxazole, while others were given inactive placebos.

Only two of 16 women in the group given the drugs developed another infection, compared to nine of 11 who were given the placebo, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.