Do women have more bladder problems than men?

Women get more bladder infections than men do, reports Mayo Clinic. Over half of women experience a bladder infection at least once in their lives, but bladder infections are rarely seen in men. A man's risk of getting a bladder infection increases with age because his prostate gets larger.

Doctors speculate that women may get more bladder infections because women's urethras are shorter than men's urethras, states Mayo Clinic. The urethra is a short tube that carries urine from the bladder, and the opening of a woman's urethra is close to her anus and vagina. The length of the tube and its nearness to other organs may increase the likelihood of bacteria entering the urethra and the bladder.