It can be alarming to experience pain withejaculation.
In some people, the condition can be persistent or severe.
Painful ejaculation is also sometimes referred to as dysejaculation, odynorgasmia, or orgasmalgia.
Prostock-Studio / Getty Images
The causes of dysorgasmia are many, ranging from infections and prostate problems to nervous system disorders and medications.
It also highlights the signs and symptoms that warrant immediate medical care.
What Is Dysorgasmia Pain Like?
The pain may last for a few seconds or up to two days.
In addition to pain, there may also be evidence of blood in semen, referred to ashematospermia.
Here are six possible causes that healthcare providers will commonly investigate if faced with symptoms of male dysorgasmia.
But other types of bacteria may be the cause.
Risk factors in males include diabetes, using aurinary catheter, or having an enlarged prostate.
These includesexually transmitted infections (STIs)likechlamydia,gonorrhea,syphilis, andtrichomoniasis.
Further, bacteria can be present in the semen/seminal fluid.
This semen infection can lead to symptoms of prostatitis and painful ejaculation.
Irrespective of the cause, the inflammation of these reproductive organs can easily trigger ejaculation pain.
Obstructive Conditions
Certain conditions can block the passage of sperm and/or seminal fluid from the body.
It is most often caused bynerve compression or entrapment.
During orgasm, the contraction of ejaculatory muscles can cause pain mostly in the perineum and lower buttocks.
Around 1 in 4 males with pudendal neuropathy experience painful ejaculation.
Chronic constipation and pelvic fractures can also lead to pudendal neuropathy.
What Medications Can Cause Painful Ejaculation?
Painful ejaculation is commonly linked to certain classes of antidepressant drugs used to treat depression and chronic pain.
Stopping the drugs will usually improve symptoms.
Tricyclic antidepressantsandselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)are the two classes most commonly associated with painful ejaculation.
How to Treat Painful Ejaculation
The treatment of painful ejaculations varies by the underlying cause.
The following chart outlines some of the options used to treat the underlying causes of painful ejaculation.
Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Painful Ejaculation?
Any medications you take and other symptoms you are experiencing will also be noted.
Other common tests and procedures include:
Additional tests may be ordered based on the findings.
Who Diagnoses Painful Ejaculation?
The symptom is usually accompanied by lower abdominal pain and bloating, often severe.
Certain antidepressants and a nerve disorder called pudendal neuropathy can cause painful ejaculation.
Painful ejaculation is typically diagnosed and treated by a urologist.
Treating the underlying cause (or discontinuing the offending drug) will often address the symptom.
With that said, some cases have no known cause and can be difficult to treat.
Untreated STIs, for example, can sometimes lead to male infertility.
Symptoms include a dull ache or pain and a feeling of heaviness in the testicles.
It is possible to develop cysts or stones in the ejaculatory ducts that deliver sperm to the urethra.
If these are blocked, infertility and painful ejaculation may occur.
With that said, ejaculatory duct obstruction is a rare and reversible cause of male infertility.
2020;12(10):e11253.
McConaghy JR, Panchal B.Epididymitis: an overview.AFP.
2016;94(9):723-726.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
2018;11(4).
Current perspectives on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.Am J Mens Health.2020 Jan-Feb;14(1):1557988320903200. doi:10.1177/1557988320903200