Discharge from Penis

Pelvis | Urology | Discharge from Penis (Symptom)


Description

Penile discharge is the abnormal loss of fluid that is not urine or semen from the urethra (urine tube) at the tip of the penis. It is commonly the sign of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and it requires prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment, usually by staff at a specialist genitourinary medicine (GUM) or STD clinic.

Causes

Both the thickness and colour (milky white, greenish, or yellow) of the discharge may vary. The discharge may result from an infection, including a sexually transmitted infection. Urethritis is the term used to refer to inflammation of the urethra due to any cause, which is often accompanied by penis discharge.

Penis discharge can be accompanied by bloody or pink-colored urine (hematuria), itching, rash, redness, or swelling. Penis discharge can be extremely uncomfortable and create difficulty with daily living, sexual relations, and urination. In addition to symptoms in and around your penis, it can occur with flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches and pains) and poor health in general.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Penile discharge or urethritis is diagnosed by finding white blood cells (neutrophils or pus cells) on a urethral swab or first catch urine sample (ie urine taken from when you first begin to pass water). The infecting organism might be identified from these samples.

Ideally, the patient should be seen in an STD clinic for prompt examination of specimens because transfer of specimens to a hospital laboratory can lead to a missed diagnosis. The colour and consistency of the discharge does not help to distinguish NSU from gonococcal urethritis. Gonococcal urethritis is diagnosed in 98 per cent of men by microscopic examination of the discharge obtained from a urethral swab.

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