Quick answer: a urinary tract infection (UTI) and a sexually transmitted infection (STI, also called an STD) can both cause burning when you urinate, so symptoms alone often cannot tell them apart. A UTI usually brings frequent, urgent urination and cloudy or strong smelling urine with little or no discharge. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis are more likely to cause discharge, itching, sores, or pain during sex, and they often cause no symptoms at all. A urine test checks for a UTI and separate urine, swab, or blood tests check for STIs, so if there is any chance of an STI, ask for both.
UTI vs. STD at a glance
- Cause: a UTI is usually caused by bowel bacteria, most often E. coli, that move into the urethra and bladder. STIs are caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites passed during sexual contact.
- Spread to a partner: a UTI is not passed between partners, although sex can make a UTI more likely. STIs spread between partners, and partners usually need testing and treatment too.
- Typical symptoms: a UTI causes burning, urgency, frequent small amounts of urine, cloudy or bloody urine, and pressure low in the belly. STIs can cause discharge from the penis or vagina, genital itching, sores or bumps, pain during sex, bleeding between periods, or testicle pain.
- Testing: a UTI is checked with a urinalysis and sometimes a urine culture. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis are checked with a urine sample or a swab, and HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis are checked with blood tests.
- Treatment: both are usually treated with prescription medicine, but not the same medicine. An antibiotic chosen for a bladder infection may not cure an STI.
Why the two are easy to confuse
Chlamydia and gonorrhea can infect the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. That inflammation, called urethritis, causes the same burning feeling as a bladder infection, and a routine urine test can show white blood cells in both. It is also possible to have a UTI and an STI at the same time. Burning that continues after a negative urine culture, or new symptoms after a new partner, are good reasons to be tested for STIs.
Signs that point toward a UTI
- A strong, frequent urge to urinate, often passing only a little
- Cloudy, dark, bloody, or strong smelling urine
- Pressure or cramping in the lower belly
- No discharge, sores, or itching
Signs that point toward an STI
- Discharge from the penis or a change in vaginal discharge
- Itching, sores, blisters, or bumps in the genital area
- Pain during sex, or bleeding after sex or between periods
- Pain or swelling in a testicle
- A partner who has tested positive for an STI
Many STIs cause no symptoms at all, which is why routine screening matters. See our guide to common STDs that can have no symptoms.
Can a UTI go away on its own?
Drinking extra water can help, but probiotics, cranberry products, and diet changes do not cure an active bladder infection. Most UTIs need a prescription antibiotic, and an untreated infection can spread to the kidneys. Avoid taking leftover antibiotics: they may be the wrong medicine, and they can make a urine culture harder to interpret.
What happens at your visit
We test your urine on site for signs of infection and can send a culture to identify the bacteria and the right antibiotic. If an STI is possible, we collect a urine sample or swab for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, and we can add blood tests for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis through our on-site laboratory. Testing is private and confidential. Learn more on our urinary tract and kidney infection and STD testing and treatment pages.
Get care promptly if you have
- Fever, chills, nausea, or pain in your back or side along with urinary symptoms, which can mean a kidney infection
- Urinary symptoms during pregnancy
- Urinary symptoms that return soon after treatment
- A genital sore or blister, or a partner who tested positive for an STI
- A possible HIV exposure in the last 72 hours, which may call for preventive medicine (PEP) that works best when started quickly
Go to the emergency room or call 911 for severe pain in the belly or pelvis, fainting, or a high fever with vomiting that keeps you from holding down fluids or medicine.
Related guides: what a full panel STD test includes, does insurance cover STD testing, and how often to get tested.
Walk in today, no appointment needed
Advanced Urgent Care of Pasadena is at 797 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena, next to Petco, with free on-site parking. We are open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday 9 AM to 5 PM, and we take our last patient 30 minutes before closing. You can walk in or reserve a time online. We serve Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino, Alhambra, and nearby communities. Questions? Call (626) 304-0404. See our accepted insurance plans.
Sources
- CDC: Urinary Tract Infection Basics
- CDC: Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines
- CDC: Getting Tested for STIs
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for an examination by a medical provider. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.