On the list of “Things That Suck” getting a UTI is probably in the top three. First of all, they’re extremely painful and while they can be remedied with antibiotics, leaving your UTI untreated should be at the bottom of your to-do list (okay, I’ll stop will all the lists now). UTIs can also have a negative stigma associated with them as they commonly occur from sex. However, there is a lot of misconceptions out there because UTIs can also happen for so many other reasons including hormonal changes, exercise, and even the anatomical fact that women are more prone to UTIs due to having shorter urethras. In fact, according to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, more than half of women are expected to have at least one urinary tract infection at some point in life. Dealing with UTIs is a reality Jenna Ryan is aware of all too well. In 2014, she had eight UTIs and described the experience as “an awful cycle.”
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“I was told repeatedly there was little I could do other than the stuff I was already doing, which consisted of trying cranberry [juice] and peeing after sex,” said Ryan. “I was desperate to get ahead of the problem and was inspired to start looking for ways to begin my own proactive approach to urinary tract health.” That inspiration would lead Ryan and her husband, Spencer Gordon, to create Uqora. “With Spencer’s background in biochemistry, and my refusal to rely on antibiotics on a daily basis, we started building Uqora as a way for people to tackle their urinary health with products that work.”
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For Ryan, it wasn’t about starting a business for the sake of starting a business. Rather, it was about facing this very specific issue that had become a large part of her life and making a difference in the lives of other chronic UTI sufferers.
“When I think back to getting Uqora started, I remember ending some days feeling like I’d set the world on fire, and some days wondering if I’d wasted all my time on completely pointless stuff,” said Ryan. “The early days are hard so you have to stay so motivated, and so steadfast. You’re placing all of these little bets without really knowing what will pop and whether it’ll work out, and if you lose faith, it’s over.”
Fortunately, Ryan was able to persevere past the mental hurdles, and eventually, get traction with Uqora’s innovative line of UTI relief products and proactive urinary tract health supplements. Now she’s focusing on keeping up the momentum. How? By sticking to her mission—further progressing the urinary health industry with products and solutions that help manage urinary health from start to finish.
For example, Uqora offers a UTI Emergency Kit, which includes everything you need to manage a UTI until you’re able to see a doctor i.e. UTI test strips, infection control, and UTI pain relief.
Separately from its line of UTI relief products, Uqora also offers proactive urinary tract health supplements, including a three-part system to cover urinary health from multiple angles. “Our three proactive urinary tract health supplements make up the Uqora Complete System,” said Ryan. “This is by far our most popular product bundling because it provides you with the most defense.”
The Uqora Target is a drink mix designed to flush the urinary tract. You can mix Target in a glass of water and drink after sex, exercise, or whenever you feel you need support. Target’s ingredients work to alkalize the urine, which makes a more effective environment to flush the urinary tract.
Next is Uqora Control, which is designed to keep the urinary tract clear on a day-to-day basis and strengthen the bladder wall. With these two functions, Control helps to keep your bladder clean in the face of hard-to-pinpoint things like stress, hormonal changes, and holding your bladder.
Last, but not least, Uqora Promote is a specialized oral vaginal probiotic that contains the three strains of lactobacillus shown to maintain the good bacteria that balance the vaginal microbiome. Because vaginal health is tightly linked to urinary tract health, a balanced vaginal microbiome is a key part of a healthy urinary tract.
In addition, Uqora provides its community with useful resources to help empower them on their journey with urinary health.
“Our resources include Uqora’s UTI Learning Center, which holds research-backed articles contributed by doctors and specialists covering urinary health topics,” said Ryan. “We also have a private Facebook group, The Uqora Collective, which serves as a safe place for Uqora customers and non-customers to connect, share their stories, and most importantly, know they are not alone on their journey.”
Since Uqora launched in 2017, Ryan notes there has been a fair share of ups and downs, but it’s all been worth it to see how far the company has come. They recently joined Pharmavite’s (the makers of Nature Made) family of brands and kicked off 2022 by launching a new product, Wash a specialized vulva balancing cleanser.
“We are particularly excited about this product because it’s a new approach to vulva cleansers,” said Ryan. “Wash uses ingredients found naturally occurring in a healthy vagina so you can feel fresh without compromising your vaginal or urinary health.” She’s grateful for how far she’s come but hasn’t forgotten what it took to get here or why she started Uqora in the first place.
For those looking to improve their urinary health—either with proactive supplements or UTI relief—they can try Uqora for 20 percent off here. But perhaps more importantly, they can take the first step toward becoming a member of the Uqora community.
“We have so many heart-to-hearts with people in our community on a daily basis,” said Ryan. “Making those connections and helping people on their journey to urinary health is addicting, and really motivating for me and our whole team. It’s why we do what we do.”
This article was created by SheKnows for Uqora.