Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medications, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.

Conditions

• A problem or condition present since birth (congenital defect)
• Previous genital injury
• Previous surgery to genital area
• History of stroke or spinal cord injury
• Surgery to remove the spleen
• Indwelling urinary catheter

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Smoking or other tobacco use
• High-risk sexual behaviors, such as:
  • Unprotected intercourse, without male or female condom use, except in a long-term single-partner (monogamous) relationship
  • Unprotected mouth-to-genital contact, except in a long-term monogamous relationship
  • Early sexual activity, before age 18
  • Having multiple sex partners
  • Having a high-risk partner (one who has multiple sex partners)
  • Having anal or homosexual sex or have partner who does
  • Having sex with a partner who uses IV drugs
  • Prostitution
  • Genital piercings with or without jewelry

Medications

• Blood-thinning medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, and aspirin
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medications used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Cancer
• Chlamydia
• Diabetes
• Genital herpes
• Genital warts (human papillomavirus, or HPV)
• Gonorrhea
• Hemophilia
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
• Inherited bone disease
• Kidney disease
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteomyelitis
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Reiter's syndrome
• Sickle cell disease
• Syphilis
• Trichomoniasis