If you've noticed blood when you urinate, it can be surprising and scary. Also known as hematuria, blood in your urine is a symptom of many health conditions. Not all of them are serious, but some STDs can cause blood in the urine. You should always take it seriously by visiting a doctor.
If you've had unprotected sex, you may be wondering, “What STD makes you pee blood?” In this article, we discuss which sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can lead to hematuria and what treatments are available. If you're worried you may have an STD, a rapid STD test can let you know in just one to two days.
Unraveling the Mystery: STDs Linked to Hematuria
Blood in the urine is not always visible to the naked eye. If you can see it yourself, it is called gross hematuria. If it is only visible under a microscope, it is called microscopic hematuria. You may or may not also experience other symptoms like painful urination, pelvic or abdominal pain, or pus in the urine.
A variety of circumstances can lead to hematuria, including the following:
- Health conditions: You may have blood in your urine if you have a urinary tract infection, kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, some kinds of cancer, blood diseases, and kidney diseases.
- Exercise or injury: Heavy exercise (such as running a marathon) or an injury to your genital region may cause you to pee blood.
- Medications: Certain medications may cause blood to appear in the urine.
- STIs: Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can also cause blood in the urine.
STDs that Can Cause Blood in Urine
What STD makes you pee blood? Several common sexually transmitted diseases can lead to blood in the urine, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. Because these infections can cause inflammation and irritation in the urinary tract, they may lead to bleeding.
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genital tract. This common STD may be difficult to detect because early-stage infections often cause few or no symptoms. When and if symptoms do appear, they can include the following:
- Blood in the urine
- Abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis
- Pain or burning when urinating
- Pain and swelling in the testicles
- Bleeding between periods
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pain during sexual intercourse in women
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial infection of the genital tract that may cause the symptoms below:
- Blood in the urine
- Thick, cloudy, or bloody discharge from the vagina or penis
- Painful, burning, or frequent urination
- Heavy menstrual bleeding or bleeding between periods
- Bleeding, discharge, itching, or pain in the anus
- Painful, swollen testicles
What STD makes you pee blood, aside from chlamydia and gonorrhea? Other STDs that can cause blood in the urine include the following:
- Trichomoniasis
- Herpes
- Syphilis
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
STDs vs UTIs
STDs occur when sexual activity transmits bacteria, viruses, or parasites from one person to another. Urinary tract infections (UTIs), however, occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract and multiply. Both can lead to blood in the urine, but UTIs are not typically sexually transmitted.
In some cases, STDs can cause UTIs if the bacteria travels from the genitals to the urinary tract. Both UTIs and STDs can lead to health complications if not treated early.
Beyond the Symptoms: The Health Impacts of Ignoring STDs
Having an untreated sexually transmitted infection can lead to a variety of health concerns, from a UTI to infertility.
In women, untreated STDs can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID may cause scarring and permanent damage to your reproductive system, leading to long-term pelvic pain, increased risks of ectopic pregnancy, and sometimes infertility.
In men, untreated STDs may cause epididymitis, a painful swelling of the epididymis (the tube that carries sperm). This can lead to pain, fever, and, rarely, infertility.
Both men and women can develop reactive arthritis, which is joint pain and swelling that occurs as a reaction to an infection elsewhere in the body.
Having one STD can also raise your risk of contracting another STD, such as HIV.
Preventative Measures
Unlike some other causes of blood in your urine (like cancer or kidney disease), many STDs are easily preventable and treatable. Below are some preventative measures for STDs:
- The only sure way to prevent STDs is to avoid sexual contact of any kind, including vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
- The proper use of latex condoms greatly reduces the risk of catching or spreading many STDs, although it does not eliminate it.
- Some STDs have vaccines available, such as the HPV vaccine. However, these vaccines may have restrictions, such as an age limit on the HPV vaccine.
- Regular testing can prevent the spread of STDs to other partners.
Regular Testing
Some STDs have no obvious symptoms. Others share symptoms with other common infections. That's why testing is such an important component of sexual health awareness. If you are sexually active, you may want to schedule annual STD testing. If you engage in anal intercourse, consider testing every three to six months.
To know if you have chlamydia, gonorrhea, or another STD, doctors can evaluate a sample of your body fluid. In most cases, this involves using a cotton swab to collect samples from your genitals. In other cases, your medical professional may choose to conduct a urine test instead.
With Rapid STD Testing, you can get a single STD test, a combined gonorrhea and chlamydia test, or a comprehensive 10-panel STD test.
Navigating Treatment: Solutions for STD-Induced Hematuria
For bacterial or parasite infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonosis, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotic treatment for STDs. You may get a one-time dose, or you may have to take medicine daily for a week. Antibiotics cannot fix any permanent damage that may have already occurred, which is why early testing and treatment are so important.
Make sure to complete the full course of antibiotics. This helps to fully eliminate the infection and to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
You should also avoid having sex until the infection has cleared. This typically means waiting for seven days after a single dose of antibiotics or until you have finished all of your medication for a seven-day course. Because repeat infections are common, you may need to get tested again about three months after treatment.
The medical treatment for UTIs also usually involves antibiotics. In addition, your doctor may also prescribe phenazopyridine, a drug that relieves the burning pain and irritation of urinary tract infections.
Treatment for Non-Bacterial Infections
If your STD is not bacterial, antibiotic treatments likely won't help. Your doctor may prescribe other medications, however. In the case of herpes, you may receive antiviral medication. While the treatment will not cure you, it can help you manage your symptoms and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
No matter the cause of the blood in your urine, you can support your recovery by staying hydrated. To prevent the risk of contracting an STD, always use protection when having sex.
Don't Keep Wondering: Get Tested Today with Rapid STD Testing
Now that you know the answer to “What STD makes you pee blood?” make sure to get tested right away if you have any STD symptoms. Early detection can help you avoid serious health complications, avoid the spread of infection to your partners, and give you peace of mind.
Rapid STD Testing offers quick, private, and affordable same-day STD testing. Visit us online to order a test, find a testing center near you, or learn more about your sexual health with blog topics like HPV and yeast infections.
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