One common genitourinary disease is a urinary tract infection, or UTI. This happens when normal bacteria from the genital region travel up the urethra and into the bladder. Although it’s associated with sex, a UTI is not an STD.
People visit a genitourinary medicine clinic when they suspect that they have a %genitourinary disease%. This can manifest itself in several different ways. In many cases, a genitourinary disease is caused by a sexually transmitted infection, but not always; there are other possibilities that a doctor must consider when making the diagnosis.
One common genitourinary disease is a urinary tract infection, or UTI. This is caused by bacteria that enter the urethra, the tube through which urine exits the body. The bacteria can then spread up into the bladder. Usually, the bacteria that cause a UTI are the normal bacteria that inhabit a healthy person’s body around the genitals and anus. These bacteria do not cause disease when they’re in their normal location, but when the enter into the urethra, then they start to cause problems.
Women are more likely than men are to get a UTI. This is because women have a shorter urethra than do men. Hormonal changes in women and the use of certain types of birth control can make women more likely to get UTIs. The classic symptoms of a UTI include pain or a burning sensation with urination.
A UTI is not a sexually transmitted disease (STD), because the bacteria that cause it are normally present and are not acquired through sexual contact. However, a UTI can still be related to sexual activity. Having frequent sex or a new sex partner are associated with getting a UTI. This happens because sex can cause irritation in the female genitals, especially when sex is frequent. Also, the mix of normal bacteria is different for each person, so when a woman is exposed to a man’s bacteria that are different from hers, it may lead to an infection.
The symptoms of a UTI are very similar to those of an STD, and sex is a risk factor. This means that when a UTI is suspected, %STD testing% is needed to establish the diagnosis. Certain STDs, including gonorrhea and chlamydia, can cause very similar symptoms to a UTI. STD testing in this case consists of a urine test to check for bacteria in the urine. (In a healthy person, there are no bacteria in the urine.) If there’s a possibility that the patient was exposed to other STDs (for example, through unprotected sex), then other types of STD testing may also be recommended; this is usually done through a blood test.
An examination by a specialist physician and %STD testing in Singapore% can be accessed at an STD clinic. Even if it turns out that you have a UTI and not an STD, your physician at the STD clinic will be able to prescribe the right medication to take care of the problem. Most UTIs are easily cured with a course of antibiotics.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 25 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 26 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 20 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
Mayo Clinic. “Urinary tract infection (UTI).” Mayo Clinic. Published 23 Jul 2015. Accessed 02 Jul 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/basics/definition/con-20037892
References
Genitourinary at Shim Clinic, Singapore