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You may see these terms on this Web site or hear them from your healthcare professional. Refer to this list for a quick reminder of what they mean.

acute
	Sudden or brief
anatomic abnormality
	A difference from the usual way the internal organs are shaped; increases the chances of developing urinary tract infections (examples: backflow of urine, unusual connections to the bladder or urethra, and a blockage in the urinary tract or kidney)
antibiotic
	A drug that fights bacteria in the body
bacteremia
	Bacteria in the blood
bladder
	Any body sac; usually used to mean the urinary bladder (see below)
clean-catch urine specimen
	An uncontaminated sample of urine collected in a cup, starting after a small amount of urine has gone into the toilet, for testing in a laboratory; also called a "midstream" specimen
complicated urinary tract infection
	A urinary tract infection in someone whose anatomy is not normal or who has a neurologic (nerve) disease that interferes with urinating, or whose urinary tract contains stones (bladder or kidney), or who has diabetes or sickle cell disease; also, urinary tract infection in a male
cystitis
	An infection of the urinary bladder
dipstick
	A small, chemically treated stick that is inserted into a urine specimen and that changes color depending on what the urine contains
discharge (see also vaginal discharge)
	Fluid coming out of the vagina or penis; a little is thin, normal, and healthy, but discharge from an infection may be thick and yellow or green and can cause the vagina or penis and the area around it to itch, burn, or feel irritated
dysuria
	Pain felt during urination
E. coli
	One species of bacteria that live in the intestines of healthy people and can move to the urinary tract, where they are the most common cause of infections; an abbreviation of Escherichia coli
epididymis
	A thin, tightly coiled tube inside a man's body that leads from the testicles to the vas deferens; it carries and stores sperm made in the testicles
epididymitis
	An infection of the epididymis
frequency
	The urge to urinate more often than usual even though only a small amount of urine comes out each time; a common symptom of urinary tract infections
glomeruli
	Thousands of tiny filters in the two kidneys that remove waste products from the blood
kidney
	One of two organs that create urine
lower urinary tract infection
	An infection of the urinary bladder or urethra (in either men or women) or in the prostate (only in men)
prostatitis
	An infection of the prostate gland (in men only)
pyelonephritis
	A kidney infection
suprapubic region
	The area just above the pubic bone; a woman with a urinary tract infection usually feels pain there
uncomplicated urinary tract infection
	A lower urinary tract infection in someone whose physical makeup (anatomy) is normal
upper urinary tract infection
	An infection of one or both kidneys
ureter
	A tube about the size of a drinking straw that leads from each of the two kidneys and drains urine into the bladder, where it is stored
urethra
	A tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body; shorter and straighter in women than in men, in whom it is connected to parts of the reproductive system (the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and testis)
urethritis
	An infection of the urethra
urgency
	The strong need to urinate immediately; a common symptom of urinary tract infections
urinalysis
	A laboratory test of the urine (urine analysis)
urinary bladder
	The elastic-walled sac in the body that stores urine until the person urinates
urinary tract infection
	An infection anywhere in the urinary tract
urine culture
	A laboratory test in which a small amount of urine is poured into a small, flat glass or plastic dish or tube (culture plate) containing nutrients that allow bacteria to grow; after 24 to 48 hours, the culture can indicate whether the person has a bacterial infection
vaginal discharge
	Fluid that flows out of the vagina every day, keeping the vagina healthy and clean; created by glands inside the vagina and cervix; contains old cells from the lining of the vagina