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Urinary infection Curable

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Testing

A UTI is one of the most common bacterial infections, and one of the most often mistaken for an STI. Burning urination, pelvic pain, and discharge come from both UTIs and STI-related urethritis (chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis), and a UTI antibiotic won't clear any of those STIs. If you have urinary symptoms and any chance of STI exposure, testing for both at the same visit is the only way to get the right treatment.

Find urinary tract infection (UTI) testing near you When can urinary tract infection (UTI) be detected?

Understanding urinary tract infection (UTI)

Testing for urinary tract infection (UTI), in brief

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is usually symptomless and quick to cure, so testing is the only reliable way to know you have it. This page covers how urinary tract infection (UTI) testing works, what it costs, and where to get tested near you.

Full urinary tract infection (UTI) overview: symptoms, complications & treatment

Where to get tested

Find urinary tract infection (UTI) testing near you

Choose your test and enter your city: we'll take you straight to local urinary tract infection (UTI) testing: nearby clinics and labs, prices, hours.

Test from home

At-home STD testing in the U.S.

if you'd rather skip the trip, an at-home kit ships to the U.S., you collect the sample privately, and mail it back to a CLIA-certified lab. Results come online in days, with a clinician available if anything is positive. Same labs as a clinic, no waiting room, and you can read how accurate at-home STD tests are before you order.

Want a free option first? The CDC-supported TakeMeHome program mails free at-home HIV self-test kits, and, in many areas, free STI kits, to your door, with no insurance or payment needed. The paid kits below add broader panels and faster turnaround.

  • In-home collection

    Quest Diagnostics

    Quest Diagnostics

    $79 & up

    Panel:
    8-infection panel incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, hepatitis & herpes: single tests too
    Sample:
    Quest Mobile: a phlebotomist collects your sample at home
    Results:
    1–3 days, online: physician-reviewed
    • In-home sample collection
    • Nationwide Quest lab network
    • Physician-reviewed results
    • FSA/HSA eligible
    Order online Quest Diagnostics review

  • Best for simplicity & support

    LetsGetChecked

    LetsGetChecked

    $89 & up

    Panel:
    5–6 common STIs incl. chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis & trichomoniasis
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + urine/swab
    Results:
    2–5 days, online
    • 24/7 nurse support
    • Prescription for positives
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • Free shipping both ways
    Order online LetsGetChecked review

  • Best value: single tests

    Everlywell

    Everlywell

    $49 & up

    Panel:
    Chlamydia & gonorrhea, up to a 6-test panel adding HIV, syphilis, trichomoniasis & hep C
    Sample:
    Finger-prick + swab
    Results:
    Days, online
    • Telehealth visit if positive
    • CLIA-certified labs
    • HSA/FSA eligible
    • Subscription savings
    Order online Everlywell review

Every kit uses CLIA-certified labs. At-home testing is for screening; a reactive result should be confirmed and treated by a clinician. Prices and panels shown are illustrative and change often, confirm current details on the provider's site.

Symptoms

Do you need a urinary tract infection (UTI) test?

Lower-tract UTIs (bladder and urethra) almost always cause symptoms. Asymptomatic bacteriuria, bacteria in urine without symptoms, is common in older adults, pregnant people, and people with catheters; it is treated only in pregnancy or before urologic procedures. That's exactly why testing matters: UTI symptoms are nearly identical to chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, and a UTI antibiotic will not clear any of them.

See every urinary tract infection (UTI) symptom — in women, men, rectal & throat

How testing works

How a urinary tract infection (UTI) test works

Testing for urinary tract infection (UTI) is simple and painless — you pee in a cup or do a quick swab, and a lab checks the sample for the infection. Below: your options, what each costs, and how soon you can test after a possible exposure.

When to test

Test at symptom onset. If you have had a new sexual partner or possible STI exposure, also request a NAAT for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis at the same visit, that test has a window period of approximately 1–2 weeks from exposure. If you test for STIs early and get a negative result, re-test at 2 weeks for confirmation.

After treatment

A UTI antibiotic will not treat an STI, and an STI can masquerade as a UTI indefinitely. If symptoms persist after a completed antibiotic course, or if you have a new partner, a NAAT for STIs is not optional.

Urinalysis (dipstick) Fastest screen
Sample
Clean-catch midstream urine sample
Results
Minutes

Tests for leukocyte esterase (white blood cells / pyuria), nitrites (bacterial metabolic byproduct, mainly from E. coli and similar bacteria), and blood. A positive dipstick guides immediate empiric treatment while a culture runs. Sensitivity is approximately 80%; a negative dipstick does not rule out a UTI in someone with classic symptoms, and it will never detect an STI.

Urine culture Most accurate
Sample
Clean-catch midstream urine sent to a lab
Results
1–3 days

The gold standard. Identifies the causative organism and runs antibiotic sensitivity testing: essential for recurrent UTIs, treatment failures, complicated UTIs, UTIs in men, and all UTIs in pregnancy. A count above 100,000 colony-forming units/mL confirms infection; lower counts with symptoms can still be significant.

STI NAAT testing
Sample
Urine or swab: vaginal, cervical, urethral
Results
1–3 days

A separate test from urinalysis: required to detect chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis. A urinalysis cannot detect any STI. Request a NAAT alongside urinalysis whenever you have urinary symptoms and any STI exposure history.

Urethral swab (men)
Sample
Urethral swab
Results
1–3 days

Rarely needed for routine UTI diagnosis in men but used when urethritis is suspected and the urine culture is negative or equivocal. Distinguishes bacterial urethritis (UTI) from STI-related urethritis (chlamydia or gonorrhea), which require entirely different treatment.

What a urinary tract infection (UTI) test costs

Where What it costs
Private lab (self-pay)Urinalysis/dipstick ~$30–$80 self-pay at a clinic; urine culture ~$40–$90; STI NAAT panels run ~$24–$80 per infection at private labs, or ~$45–$150 for at-home kits
Free / sliding-scale clinicMany health departments and Title X STI clinics evaluate urinary symptoms and offer UTI testing alongside free or low-cost STI screening
With insuranceUrinalysis and urine culture are covered by most plans; STI screening is covered with no out-of-pocket cost under most ACA plans when recommended

Compare STD testing costs across every option.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for urinary tract infection (UTI)?

Testing for urinary tract infection (UTI) is usually guided by symptoms, a known exposure, or a partner's diagnosis rather than routine screening: so you test when you have a reason to, not on a fixed schedule.

  1. 1

    Anyone with burning urination who hasn't recently been tested for STIs

    Dysuria (pain or burning when urinating) is the primary symptom of both UTIs and STI-related urethritis. A urinalysis tests for UTI; a NAAT tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis, they are different tests requiring different samples. If you have STI risk and have not been tested recently, request both at the same visit. A UTI antibiotic will not clear an STI.

  2. 2

    Women with recurrent UTIs (3+ per year)

    Recurrent UTIs warrant urine culture at every episode to identify the causative organism and confirm antibiotic sensitivity: resistance is more common in recurrent cases, and empiric treatment is more likely to fail. Recurrent UTIs also deserve investigation for underlying risk factors (spermicide use, postmenopausal estrogen decline, anatomical issues) that can be addressed.

  3. 3

    All pregnant women

    All pregnant people are screened for asymptomatic bacteriuria (bacteria in urine without symptoms) at the first prenatal visit, and even asymptomatic bacteriuria is treated during pregnancy because it can progress to kidney infection and is associated with preterm labor. Symptomatic UTIs in pregnancy always require prompt treatment and test-of-cure follow-up.

  4. 4

    Men with any UTI symptoms

    Men rarely develop uncomplicated UTIs because the male urethra is much longer. A UTI in a man under 50 should trigger STI testing (chlamydia and gonorrhea cause urethritis that is clinically identical) and evaluation for structural abnormalities. Treatment is the same as for women but typically with a longer antibiotic course.

  5. 5

    Anyone who recently had a UTI diagnosis but symptoms persist after antibiotics

    Persistent symptoms after an appropriate UTI antibiotic course should prompt re-evaluation for an STI. STI-related urethritis is the most common explanation for apparent UTI treatment failure in sexually active people. A NAAT at this point is essential.

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Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) testing by state & city

Jump to local urinary tract infection (UTI) testing, clinics and labs, prices, in your state or a popular city, or explore another test.

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Living with urinary tract infection (UTI)

Questions to ask your provider about urinary tract infection (UTI)

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is treatable and nothing to be ashamed of. The most useful next step after a positive result (or before a first test) is a direct conversation with a clinician. Here are the questions that matter most:

  • Is my urinary tract infection (UTI) test result definitive, or do I need a confirmatory test?
  • Should I also be tested for an STI, since the symptoms overlap?
  • Do I need a urine culture, or is empiric treatment enough?
  • How soon can I re-test to confirm the infection has cleared?
  • Are there other STIs I should test for at the same visit?
  • What should prompt me to come back, such as fever or flank pain?

Good to Know

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) testing FAQs

Common questions about urinary tract infection (UTI) and urinary tract infection (UTI) testing, answered.

How is a UTI tested?

A urine dipstick test gives results in minutes: it detects white blood cells (leukocyte esterase), bacterial metabolic byproducts (nitrites), and blood in the urine. A positive dipstick in a symptomatic patient usually justifies starting antibiotic treatment immediately while results from the more definitive test, the urine culture, come back. The urine culture takes 1–3 days, identifies the exact bacterium causing the infection, and tells you which antibiotics it is sensitive to. For the urine culture to be accurate, collect a clean-catch midstream sample: urinate a small amount first, then collect the middle portion of the stream in the sterile cup provided. If you also need STI testing, that is a completely separate test (a NAAT on a swab or separate urine sample) that must be specifically requested.

Do at-home UTI test strips work?

At-home UTI strips dip into your urine and check for nitrites and leukocytes, chemicals most UTIs produce. A positive strip is a useful signal, but strips miss some infections and cannot identify the bacteria, so a negative strip with ongoing symptoms still warrants a call to your clinician.

Where can I buy a UTI test?

UTI test strips are sold over the counter at most pharmacies and retailers, including Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, and Target, and online, with no prescription needed.

How much does a UTI test cost?

Drugstore UTI test strips are inexpensive, usually a few dollars for a pack; a clinic urinalysis or a mail-in culture costs more but identifies the exact bacteria and is often covered by insurance.

Medically Reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Dr. Mateo Guerrero, MD · Sexual Health & Family Medicine

Family physician specializing in sexual health, PrEP/PEP care, and confidential STI screening. Front-line voice for prevention and 'what does this symptom mean' guidance. Our editorial guidelines →

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