Patient education: Urethritis (The Basics)

What is urethritis? — 

The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body (figure 1). Urethritis is when the urethra gets irritated or inflamed.

People who have urethritis can have pain, burning, or stinging when urinating. They also sometimes have discharge, meaning they leak fluid from the penis or vagina. Males with urethritis can have redness or swelling at the tip of the penis.

What causes urethritis? — 

Urethritis is usually caused by an infection. The most common cause is a sexually transmitted infection ("STI"). STIs are infections you can catch during sex.

STIs that can cause urethritis include:

●Chlamydia

●Gonorrhea

●Mycoplasma genitalium

●Trichomoniasis

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — 

Yes. If you have symptoms of urethritis, see a doctor or nurse.

Will I need tests? — 

Probably. Your doctor or nurse will do an exam. This might include a pelvic exam for females. They will also ask about your symptoms.

Tests might include:

●Urine tests

●Tests on a sample of fluid from the vagina or penis

●Blood tests

These can show if you have an infection and what kind.

How is urethritis treated? — 

Treatment usually involves taking antibiotics. These can come as pills, a single shot, or both pills and a shot. If your doctor or nurse thinks you have urethritis, you will probably get treatment right away. You do not need to wait until your test results come back.

If you are treated for an STI, do not have sex until 7 days after you start antibiotics and until you have no more symptoms.

When you learn you have an STI, tell all the people you had sex with recently. They might also have the infection (even if they have no symptoms) and need treatment.

Can urethritis be prevented? — 

Since urethritis is usually caused by an STI, you can reduce your chances of getting urethritis again by:

●Using a latex condom correctly every time you have sex (figure 2)

●Avoiding sex when you or your partner has any symptoms that could be caused by an infection (such as itching, discharge, or pain with urination)

●Not having sex

If you had an STI at any time, your doctor or nurse might also check you for other STIs now or in the future. People can get more than 1 STI at a time. Plus, STIs do not always cause symptoms, so it helps to check.

More on this topic

Patient education: Sexually transmitted infections (The Basics)
Patient education: Chlamydia and gonorrhea (The Basics)
Patient education: Mycoplasma genitalium (The Basics)
Patient education: Trichomoniasis (The Basics)
Patient education: Vaginal discharge (The Basics)
Patient education: Pelvic exam (The Basics)

Patient education: Chlamydia (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Gonorrhea (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Vaginal discharge in adult women (Beyond the Basics)