Diagnosis involves a physical exam and various lab tests.
Treatment will vary based on the specific cause, but may include prescription and over-the-counter medications.
This article discusses the symptoms and causes of urethritis in assigned males.
Verywell / JR Bee
It also looks at diagnosis and treatment.
Urethritis Causes
There are many reasons why the male urethra may become inflamed.
Males diagnosed with gonorrhea may have painful urination and a milky discharge from the penis.
They may also have pain in the testicles caused byepididymitis.
This is an inflammation of the tubes that store and carry sperm from the testicles.
Females with gonorrhea often do not have symptoms.
Non-Gonococcal Urethritis
Non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) is triggered by something other than gonorrhea.
Noninfectious
In some cases, NGU isn’t triggered by a pathogen at all.
Instead, it may be sparked by minor injury.
Vigorous sexual activity or masturbation can lead to NSU.
So can contact with chemical irritants, such as:
Even rough fabric can cause urethritis.
This might happen if the fabric irritates the opening of the urethra.
Other conditions may have urethritis as a symptom.
These include:
Severe or complicated cases may be referred to a urologist.
Urethritis can have many potential causes.
Some, like certain bacteria and viruses, are transmitted sexually.
Other causes include chemical irritants and conditions like urinary tract infection or kidney stones.
Sometimes no cause is found.
Visible signs of redness, discharge, and other abnormalities may suggest urethritis.
Next, a dry cottonswab is inserted into the urethra.
The swab is rotated once to obtain a sample of cells.
You will also be asked to submit a urine sample.
A pathologist will take the swab sample and smear it on a glass slide.
It can then be viewed under a microscope.
Urethritis can be diagnosed whether the cause is known or unknown.
Diagnosis is based on a physical exam and lab tests.
Treatment of Urethritis
Treatment of urethritis depends on the cause.
Bacterial causes are usually treated with antibiotics.
For urethritis, the most common antibiotics include:
Certain strains of bacteria may be resistant to some antibiotics.
This includes strains of the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, chlamydia, and Mgen.
This can make treatment more difficult.
Viral causes like HSV and CMV may be treated with antiviral drugs.
Such drugs include Zovirax (acyclovir) and famciclovir.
Pyridium (phenazopyridine) can also be used to treat pain and reduce the urge to urinate.
Pyridium is available over-the-counter or by prescription.
During the follow-up, you’ll undergo repeat testing for STIs.
Your partners should see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Avoid sex until the underlying infections are cleared.
Summary
Urethritis is a symptom of an infection or other condition.
It can cause itching, burning, pain, and discharge.
If the infection is severe, it may also cause fever and other symptoms.
Urethritis can have bacterial or viral causes.
This includes certain kinds of STIs.
It may also be due to chemical irritants, minor injury, or conditions like kidney stones.
Urethritis is diagnosed with an exam and lab tests.
Treatment depends on the cause.
Bacterial causes are treated with antibiotics.
Viral causes are treated with antiviral drugs.
A Word From Verywell
Precautions can reduce your risk of urethritis.
Be sure to use external or internal condoms, or other barrier methods when engaging in sexual activity.
It is also important to limit your number of sex partners.
This can help prevent STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV.
If you develop urethritis, don’t have sex until you finish your entire course of antibiotics.
You could still be infectious even if your symptoms go away before you are finished with treatment.
Failure to finish your antibiotics could lead to antibiotic resistance.
This can make it harder to treat your infection if it returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes.
Urethritis is most commonly triggered by sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis.
Inflammation inside the urethra can result in itching in the tube that carries urine out of the body.
Urethritis can be triggered by an infection or irritation to the urethra.
No, a UTI is a urinary tract infection.
The urinary tract includes the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra.
Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra only.
Symptoms of urethritis and a UTI overlap and include painful urination.
Young A, Wray AA.Urethritis.
In:StatPearls [Internet].
