Anyone who has suffered the burning and painful urination of a urinary tract infection (UTI) knows how to recognize them. But do you know what is occurring and what the possible cause is?

According to an article in ArcaMax Health and Fitness, most women don't.

Most respondents attributed a UTI to "often waiting too long to urinate," "wiping back to front," "a yeast infection," pregnancy," "an increased amount of sexual intercourse" or "drinking too many alcoholic or caffeinated beverages."

None of the above cause UTIs. Bacteria trapped inside the urinary tract is doing the damage. Women's Health at About.com explains UTIs this way:

The most common cause of UTI are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra they travel upwards causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.