looks like this forum has shut down
tried both- but i need a medical view as my doc does not know
thanks for your help. i have seen both for and against the valve- re UTIs !!
I found this -
https://healthtalk.org/living-urinary-catheter/catheter-valves
"Many people prefer to use a catheter valve because it may reduce the risk of infection and blockage by intermittently flushing the catheter with urine. Having a valve without a bag is also more discreet and comfortable than having a drainage bag. There are many different types of valve (e.g. flip flow valves)."
That has some videos of people who talk about their experiences with both.
Here's another article that may help -
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789885/