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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in men facts
• What are STDs and how can their spread be prevented?
• Diseases associated with genital lesions
• Chancroid
• Genital herpes
• Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV)
• Syphilis
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Diseases associated with urethritis
• Urethritis
• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Systemic STDs
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8)
• Ectoparasitic infections
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) FAQs
• Find a local Urologist in your town
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs in Men) Index

The urethra is a canal in the penis through which urine from the bladder and semen are emptied. Urethritis (inflammation of the urethra) in men begins with a burning sensation during urination and a thick or watery discharge that drips from the opening at the end of the penis. Infection without any symptoms is common. The most common causes of urethritis are the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Both of these infections are usually acquired through sexual exposure to an infected partner. The urethritis can extend to the testicles (orchitis) and the tube connecting the testicles to the urethra, the epididymis (epididymitis). These complicated and potentially severe infections can cause tenderness and pain in the testicles. For example, they occasionally develop into an abscess (pocket of pus) requiring surgery and can even result in sterility.

A person with symptoms of urethritis as described above should seek medical care. An evaluation for urethritis generally requires a laboratory examination of a sample of urethral discharge or of a first-in-the-morning urine sample. The specimens are examined for evidence of inflammation (white blood cells). Urethritis has traditionally been classified into two types: gonococcal (caused by the bacterium responsible for gonorrhea) and nongonococcal. Chlamydia is the major cause of nongonococcal urethritis. If evidence of urethritis is present, every effort should be made to determine if it is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, or both. Several diagnostic tests are currently available for identifying these organisms, including cultures of the urethral discharge (obtained by swabbing the opening of the penis with a cotton swab) or of the urine. Other tests rapidly detect the genetic material of the organisms. Ideally, treatment should be directed towards the cause of infection.

If appropriate and timely follow-up is impossible on the patient's part, however, patients should be treated for both N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis as soon as urethritis is confirmed, because these organisms commonly occur in the same people, produce similar symptoms, and can cause serious complications if left untreated.