UTI vs STD (Urinary tract infection vs Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
| Sr No | UTI |
STD |
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| 1 | Definition | UTI stands for urinary tract infection mainly caused by the bacteria (mostly by E. coli* bacteria ) entering any of the four parts of the urinary tract (urethra, bladder, ureter, kidneys) | STD stands for Sexually transmitted diseases which is an infection transmitted through sexual contact, caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites |
| 2 | Transmission | Urinary tract infection can be caused when bacteria or other agents like viruses or fungi get into your urethra, bladder or kidneys by sexual or asexual means | STD causes due to the specific type of virus, bacteria or parasite entering the body by means of sexual contact |
| 3 | Symptoms |
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| 4 | Effects | UTI affects the following limbs
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STD can affect many other things in the human body depending on its type such as
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| 5 | Causes | UTI causes mainly due to
Sex can but doesn’t necessarily cause a UTI, because sexual intercourse can help push bacteria into the urethra |
STD causes mainly due to
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| 6 | Affected gender/Age group | More common among women because of the smaller urethra and urethral meatus exposure to pathogens. In fact, the ratio of women likely to have UTI is 20:1 | No inclination to a specific gender. But women between the ages of 15 to 24 years are more prone to common STDs like Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. |
| 7 | Prevention |
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| 8 | Similarities | urinary urgency, pain when urinating, cloudy urine and pelvic pain. | |
| 9 | What is tested? | Diagnosis is done with a urine analysis this measured the pH protein level presence of nitrates white blood cells and leukocyte esterase. A sample can be sent to the lab for culture | Presence of viruses, bacterias, and other parasites.
STD culture test, RNA test |
*Bacterias causing UTI
Enterobacteriacea:-E.coil, Kiebsiella, Proteus; Citrobacter; Enterococci; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphyloccus:- S. aureus, S. saprophyticus this bacteria affects sexually active women and young girls.
How do I know if I have UTI or STD?
Although there are common symptoms between STI and UTI such as painful or difficult urination, frequent urination or the urge to urinate, as well as urine that is cloudy, dark or has a strange smell, etc. with STD it is mostly asymptomatic, i.e. there is no sign or symptom of the STD/STI virus present inside the body. So, the only way remains to confirm if the symptom belongs to an STD/STI is by getting tested for STD near you. Moreover, if you have Chlamydia then you will be tested positive for UTI.
That brings us to our next question….
Can STD/STI cause UTI?
Yes, STDs such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Urethritis which is the inflammation of the urethra is caused by the bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae or the STD gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis which is again an STD called Chlamydia.
What is UTI?
UTI is any infection of the urinary tract which includes the upper portion of the tract, the kidneys and ureters and the lower portion of the tract the bladder and the urethra.
Cystitis (Cyst: means bladder; itis: meaning inflammation), a type of UTI, when it’s caused by an infection is a type of lower UTI.
Usually, it is caused when bacteria typically move from the rectal area to the urethra and then migrate up the urethra and into the bladder.
Preventive methods for UTI
- Drink plenty of water or have a good amount of fluid intake.
- But, remember not to excess intake of water. If you’re taking antibiotics you don’t want to drink excessive amounts of fluids because you want to keep the levels of antibiotic concentration in the bladder and urethra so you can kill all those bad bacteria.
- After your bathroom visit, after you’ve done with the thing you need to wipe. But remember, wipe front to back. If you do (from back to front) the bad bacteria that colonizes the rectum like E. coli can get closer to the urethra and put you at higher risk of a UTI.
- Emptying your bladder soon after intercourse can help prevent you from getting a UTI.
- Empty your bladder fully when you go for a pee and if you need to go, don’t hold it in so if you’ve got the urge to go for a pee.
- Try shower bath instead of the bathtub; use loose cotton underwear.
- Avoid synthetic underwear like nylon, jeans, etc.
Preventive methods of STD
- Know your sexual partners and limit their number.
- Know your partner’s sexual history
- Use protection while sex: latex condom while intercourse and Dental dam while oral sex
- Avoid risky sexual behaviors that can damage or tear the condom. Anal sex because of its nature possesses a high risk as tissues in anal tear easily.
- Get vaccinated: Some STDs like Hepatitis B, C and HPV can be prevented by getting vaccinated
Test for UTI and STD
The Test for UTI is not the same as STD. So to begin with we UTI test.
Tests for UTI: Urinalysis
In the Urine analysis, a typical test to detect the UTI, it looks out for Pyuria which are white blood cells in the urine, this making infected person urine cloudy.
A dipstick test looks out for the presence of leukocyte esterase which is an enzyme created by leukocytes or white blood cells. Dipstick test also looks out for nitrites, which bacteria E Coli converts from nitrate in the urine.
Urinalysis which is a $22 test covers everything mentioned above by HealthTestingCenter.com (an FDA approved, HIPAA compliant labs)
Urine Culture Test is considered the most accurate for UTI detection. It is considered positive if >100,000 CFUs/mL *CFU: Colony-forming units.So as with the other culture test even in this test a known bacteria is grown because of the presence of UTI + patient has clinical symptoms to conclude the definite presence of the UTI bacteria. This form of test is used in complicated cases.
Tests for STD/STI
There are many STDs and depending on the STD symptoms (if any) the tests are recommended. However, there is a popular 10 test panel of STD that covers the diagnosis of 10 major and most common STDs. STD tests are in different forms. Some include a Urine test, some include a blood test, some requires taking a swab from the affected area while some are culture tests.
STD 10 test panel (an FDA approved, HIPAA compliant labs) with a discount coupon of $10 inside.
Treatment for UTI
As per Dr. Aaron Hoffman; Physician at the Ambulatory Practice of the future. Common antibiotics for the treatment of UTIs targeted towards the bacteria include the following.
Please remember: Always consult a medical practitioner or physician and never indulge in self-medication. The below information is just for knowledge purposes and should not be treated as a specific remedy or treatment of any disease.
- Macrobid also called nitrofurantoin
- BACTRIM™ also called trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole.
- Monurol also known as fosfomycin
There is another popular antibiotic ciprofloxacin or cipro. Due to the growth of superbugs which are bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics as well as the risk of side effects from using ciprofloxacin the FDA placed a warning against routine use of ciprofloxacin to treat UTIs.
Treatment for UTI caused due to STD
UTI due to Chlamydia treatment: Uncomplicated lower genital tract chlamydia infections can be cured by a single dose or short course of antibiotics such as azithromycin and doxycycline.
UTI due to Gonorrhea treatment: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that uncomplicated gonorrhea be treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone — given as an injection — with oral azithromycin (Zithromax)
References
https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/uti.html
https://www.who.int/gpsc/information_centre/cauda-uti_eccmid.pdf