← Chapter 15
Microbiology · Chapter 15

Urogenital Infections & STIs

The lower urethra opens to the outside, so it is the front door for two whole worlds of disease. Urinary infections are gut bacteria climbing up. Sexually spread infections arrive by close contact and are often silent. Pick a side, tap an infection, then run the model below.

The urogenital tract

Where the infection sits
Site in the tract—
Cause—
Urine runs down from the kidneys, through the ureters, into the bladder, and out the urethra. Most urinary infections travel that same road in reverse.

Every catheter day countslive model

Chance of bacteria in the urine by catheter day

Silent cases and screeninglive model

Cases found against cases missed

Where infections strikepick a side, then tap one
Days the catheter stays in
4 d
Bacteria in urine
0%
True infection
0%
Should treat?
—
Out of 200 infections
30%
40%
Found
0
Missed
0
Bounce back
0
A shared front doorThe lower urethra opens to the outside, so it is the way in for both worlds of disease. Urinary infections are usually gut bacteria, led by E. coli, climbing the tract. Sexually spread infections arrive by close contact. Tap any infection to see its cause and its care.