Urethritis means inflammation of the urethra. Chief symptoms are pain in passing urine, and a slight discharge from the urinary opening.
If you experience a burning or painful sensation when you pee coupled with a whitish discharge, you might be suffering from urethritis. Urethritis is essentially inflammation of the urethra, the tube that carries urine from your bladder, and is usually caused by an infection.
GP Dr Roger Henderson looks at the systems, causes and treatment options for urethritis in men and women:
What is urethritis?
Urethritis means inflammation of the urethra – the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the exterior. In men, this is roughly eight inches (approximately 20cm) long, and in women it is only one and a half inches long (about 3.8cm). The difference in length is accounted for by the fact that in men, the urethra has to traverse the length of the penis.
What causes urethritis?
In most cases urethritis infections are caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and half of all cases are due to a bacteria called chlamydia. This can be passed on by sexual contact with an infected person, through oral, anal or vaginal sex.
Other causes include gonococcal urethritis, caused by the sexually transmitted bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoea, and there is also non-gonococcal urethritis where causes other than gonorrhoea cause it.
More rarely, other germs can cause urethritis. Some authorities claim that chemicals, such as those contained in spermicides and bubble baths, can cause it. It can also be provoked by the practice of pushing foreign bodies into the urethra.
- Urethritis in men
Urethritis is extremely common in men. What usually happens is that a few days after having sex, the man notices that he has a slight, whitish discharge on the inside of his underpants. This fluid has emerged from the end of his penis.
At the same time, he starts to find that urination is quite painful and that he has to pass urine more frequently than normal. However, in around 25 per cent of men with urethritis, there are no symptoms.
- Urethritis in women
In women, urethritis is much more difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are not as clear cut. It’s often difficult to distinguish urethritis from ordinary cystitis. However, if a woman develops painful urination plus a discharge from the urinary opening, it’s a good idea to go to a doctor or clinic for tests.
Non-specific urethritis (NSU)
For many years, any form of urethritis in which there was no evidence of gonorrhoea was referred to as non-specific urethritis or NSU. It was also called non-gonococcal urethritis or NGU.
However, it is now clear that many cases of ‘non-specific’ urethritis were actually due to chlamydia infection, which is now very common in sexually-active young people.
Treatment of urethritis
If you think you may have urethritis, you should either go to your GP or to a sexual health clinic, where they are expert in dealing with this condition. At the clinic or GP surgery you can expert the following:
✔️ The doctor will examine your urinary opening, and take a small sample of the moisture from it.
✔️ Some of the liquid will be examined right away under a microscope, and some will be sent to the lab to see if any germs can be cultured from it.
✔️ You may also be advised to have tests for other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and syphilis.
✔️ If you are a gay man you may also be advised to have a swab taken from the back of the throat, and the back passage (rectum).
Urethritis is treated with antibiotics, and the results are very good. You should be treated within a couple of weeks but do not have sex until the clinic doctor says it’s okay to do so.
Also, your recent sexual contacts should attend a sexual health clinic for tests. If you are concerned, read our advice on how to break the news to someone that you have an STI.
Where do I find a sexual health clinic?
For information on where to get tested, try one of the following:
- Ask your GP for advice.
- Find a sexual health clinicnear you.
- Try Brook’s Find a Service tool
- Find contraceptive servicesnear you.
- Call the national sexual health line 0300 123 7123.
- Call Worth Talking About on 0300 123 2930 (for under-18s).
- Some pharmacies also test for chlamydia.
Medical Xpress