What is the Difference Between PID and UTI

The key difference between PID and UTI is that PID is an infection of the female reproductive system, especially in the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, while UTI is an infection in the urinary tract, especially in the bladder, urethra, and kidneys.

PID and UTI are two types of infections caused by pathogenic bacteria. PID occurs in the reproductive system of females, while UTI occurs in the urinary system. Both types of infections are very common in females. PID is a sexually transmitted infection, unlike UTI. Physicians prescribe antibiotics to treat PID and UTIs.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is PID
3. What is UTI
4. Similarities – PID and UTI
5. PID vs UTI in Tabular Form
6. Summary – PID vs UTI

What is PID?

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection in the female reproductive system. PID can be seen in the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. PID mainly occurs as a sexually transmitted infection. It is mainly due to several bacterial types, including bacteria that cause Chlamydia and gonorrhea. Other than bacteria that cause sexually transmitted diseases, normal bacteria can also cause PID. The entrance of these bacteria is mainly through the vagina, and then they move inside the reproductive system, causing infections at different parts. Common symptoms of PID are pain in the lower and upper abdomen, fever, painful urination and sex, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, tiredness, and irregular bleeding.

Figure 01: PID

If this PID is left untreated, it can cause fertility problems in females. It can also lead to long-term pelvic pain. Moreover, ultrasound scans, swab tests from the cervix, and other imaging tests can be helpful in diagnosing PID. PID can be easily treated with appropriate antibiotics. PID may need to be cured with surgeries if there is scarring on the fallopian tubes or abscesses in the ovaries.

What is UTI?

UTI (Urinary tract infection) is an infection in the urinary system. These infections mainly occur due to bacteria entering the urethra. The infection can happen in any part of the urinary tract, including the bladder, kidneys, and urethra. Based on the part affected, UTI can be named cystitis (bladder infection), pyelonephritis (kidney infection), or urethritis (urethra infection). UTI can be seen in both males and females. However, females are more likely to suffer from UTIs than males. UTI is mainly caused by bacteria living on the skin or around the skin of the rectum and vagina. They enter through the urethra and reach the bladder. E. coli is the most common causative agent. Bacteria like Protus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Klebsiella pneumonia cause UTIs. Some of the risk factors for UTI are poor hygiene, sexual activeness, previous UTI, diabetes, kidney stones, pregnancy, and having an enlarged prostate.

Figure 02: UTI

The symptoms of UTI are pain in the side, abdomen, or pelvic area, frequent need of urination, urine leakage, painful urination, blood in urine, abnormal urine colour, foul-smelling urine, need for urination at night, etc. UIT can be treated with antibiotics.

What are the Similarities Between PID and UTI?

PID and UTI are infections caused by microorganisms, especially bacteria.
They are treated with appropriate antibiotics.
Bacteria are the main causative agents of both PID and UTI.
Douching may increase the risk of both PID and UTI.

What is the Difference Between PID and UTI?

PID refers to an infection in the female reproductive system, while UTI refers to an infection in the urinary system. Thus, this is the key difference between PID and UTI. PID is seen in females, while UTI can be seen in both males and females. Furthermore, complications of PID are infertility, chronic persistent pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. Severe kidney infection is a complication of UTI.

The below infographic presents the differences between PID and UTI in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – PID vs UTI

PID and UTI are two types of infections caused in the female reproductive system and human urinary system, respectively. Both types of infections are mainly caused by bacteria; hence, they can be treated and cured using antibiotics. PID can be responsible for infertility problems, while UTI can be responsible for severe kidney infections. PID is mainly a sexually transmitted infection. So, this summarizes the difference between PID and UTI.

Reference:

1. “Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: What You Need to Know.” Advanced Gynecology.
2. “Everything You Should Know about Urinary Tract Infections.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Blausen 0719 Pelvic Inflammatory Disease” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

2. “Depiction of a lady who has a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)” By Myupchar (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia