Nonspecific Urethritis in Men

What is nonspecific urethritis?

Nonspecific urethritis is a condition where there is inflammation (swelling) of the urethra. The urethra is the tube inside a man's penis. Urine passes from the bladder, through the urethra, and out of the body. The bladder is the hollow organ that holds urine. Men who have sex with men, sex workers, and those with many sexual partners are at a high risk of having this condition.

What causes nonspecific urethritis?

Nonspecific urethritis may be caused by germs such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, including chlamydia, mycoplasma and herpes simplex virus. There may be more than one germ causing your condition at the same time. In some cases, the exact germ causing the infection is unknown. You may get this infection by having unprotected sex with a person who has an infection. Sex is unprotected when a condom is not used. Bath soaps, spermicides, and vaginal chemicals from your sexual partner may also cause urethritis. These may get into your urethra, causing irritation and swelling. Injuries from objects or accidents, and medical conditions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome may also cause urethritis.

What are the signs and symptoms of nonspecific urethritis?

You may have no symptoms if you have nonspecific urethritis. Or you may have any of the following:

Feeling like you need to pass urine more often than usual.

Fever.

Pain in the abdomen (stomach).

Pain or a burning feeling when you pass urine.

Pain or itchiness in your penis.

Pain when you have sex.

Thin and slightly cloudy, or thick yellow-green discharge from your penis.

How is nonspecific urethritis diagnosed?

Your caregiver will ask you about medical conditions you have had. He may ask questions about your sexual partners and practices. If your caregiver sees from your sexual history that you are at risk, you may need to be screened for infection from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia. You may need any of the following tests:

Blood tests:

You may need blood taken for tests. The blood can be taken from a blood vessel in your hand, arm, or the bend in your elbow. It is tested to see how your body is doing. It can give your caregivers more information about your health condition. You may need to have blood drawn more than once.

Urethral fluid tests:

A cotton swab is put just slightly inside the urethra to collect fluid. This fluid can then be looked at under a microscope to see if white blood cells or germs are in it. If germs are seen, it may be possible to tell what the germs are.

Urine tests:

A urine sample may be collected from you after you have not urinated for at least one hour. The urine can then be tested special tests to see if white blood cells or germs are in it.

How is nonspecific urethritis treated?

Your symptoms may decrease with treatment. Antibiotic medicines may be given to help treat the infection if it is caused by germs. For some men, nonspecific urethritis symptoms go away without treatment. But if this happens, you may still be infected with germs that you can spread to other people. Both you and your sexual partner must be treated to prevent urethritis from spreading. You may have had more than one sexual partner within the past 60 days. If so, all of them should be tested and treated. Nonspecific urethritis caused by irritation or injury may or may not be treated with antibiotic medicine. To help ease the pain, you may sit in a hot bath for 15 minutes at least two times a day.

How can nonspecific urethritis be prevented?

Always wear a condom, and wear it correctly when having sex. Ask your caregiver for more information about the correct way to use condoms.

Do not have sex (including oral sex) with someone who has urethritis.

If you are being treated for urethritis, do not have sex, even with a condom. Continue not having sex until you and your partner have taken all your medicine. Ask your caregiver when it is safe to have sex again.

If you have a female partner, tell your caregiver if you think she is pregnant. You may have passed germs to her. Some germs that cause nonspecific urethritis can also be passed on to an infant during birth.

Where can I get more information?

Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333
800-227-8922
800-232-4636
http://www.cdc.gov/std