When it comes to your sex life, there are a lot of acronyms out there — the fun ones, such as DTF or DTR are just as confusing to keep up with as the more serious likes of UTI, STI, and STD. While no one really likes to talk about the latter three, it’s sexually and medically important (and responsible!) to know the differences between them, so you can recognize the symptoms and seek proper treatment if and when you need it. Here’s the difference between UTIs and STIs, how to tell if it’s a UTI vs STD/STI depending on your symptoms, and what to do about it.
If you’re tested for STIs, you’ll want to avoid having sex until you have the results. But the same goes for if you have a UTI. Although you can technically have sex with a UTI since it isn’t contagious, it will likely be uncomfortable and it may cause further bacteria to build up, exacerbating the infection, says Dr. Olcha. So, it’s in your best interest to hold off until you’re recovered.
What you can (and should) do if you have a UTI, however, is “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate,” advises Taylor Sparks, erotic educator and founder of Organic Loven. And the age-old cranberry juice trick may have some merit — “cranberry juice is helpful because proanthocyanidins, an active ingredient in cranberry juice, helps keep bacteria from attaching to urinary tract walls,” she says, though research findings are inconclusive, according to the MayoClinic. Dr. Dweck also recommends avoiding caffeine and alcohol as they are “bladder irritants.”
No matter what you have going on, a visit to your doctor to confirm the sitch — whether it’s a UTI vs STD or STI, and the appropriate course of treatment — can have you feeling better, fast. (Next read: Your Guide to Dealing with a Positive STI Diagnosis)
