Also
known as: NGU, UU, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Urethritis
Myths
dispelled
Here are some facts to clear up some common misconceptions.
You
don't get urethritis from toilet seats, unless perhaps someone
else is sitting on your lap. Urethritis may not be sexually transmitted.
Intro
Urethritis is any inflammation of your urethra (the tube that
carries urine and semen through your penis). Most men notice a
burning with urination and a discharge from the tip of their penis.
There are over four million new cases of urethritis each year
with one-third caused by gonorrhea and two-thirds caused by other
infections.
What
is it?
Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is any infection of your urethra
caused by an organism other than gonorrhea and accounts for approximately
two-thirds of the cases. Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma
urealyticum are the most common organisms that cause this infection.
Other bacteria can cause the infection, especially if you put
foreign objects (and other toys) into your urethra. Men who require
frequent catheterizations to remove their urine also frequently
develop urethritis from other types of bacteria.
Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose the infection by examining your penile discharge
under a microscope. If you have a noticeable discharge, your doctor
will collect it on a cotton swab. If it's minimal, he/she will
try to "milk" a little of it out of your urethra. When
this fails, the last alternative (please don't squirm) is for
your doctor to pass a tiny (emphasis on tiny) swab into your urethra.
Don't worry, it doesn't go in very far.
When
doctors examine the discharge produced by NGU under a microscope,
they typically see many white blood cells without gonorrhea bacteria.
Although different types of bacteria can cause NGU and might turn
up as a positive culture, most cases of NGU are caused by Chlamydia
trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU). These organisms are
exceedingly difficult to culture. If your doctor cultures your
discharge (it takes several days to obtain a result) and a specific
bacteria turns up, then your treatment will be tailored to kill
that organism. Most often, however, no organism grows and your
doctor suspects that you have NGU caused either by chlamydia or
UU. Treatment will be tailored to kill these organisms. Alternatively,
doctors can insert a small cotton swab into your urethra or dab
it in a bit of your penile discharge (sound pretty?) and send
it to the laboratory for DNA analysis. If chlamydial DNA is present
in your discharge, then you know it caused your urethritis. This
test is more reliable than a culture because the bacteria does
not have to grow to identify its presence.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms are burning with urination (dysuria)
and a penile discharge. Typically these symptoms are much milder
than what you'd experience with a urethritis from gonorrhea. In
NGU the discomfort can vary from severe to little more than an
annoyance. You can have a minimal discharge that only shows up
as a stain on your underwear. The discharge may be clear or only
mildly infected. (Gonorrhea produces a green/yellow discharge.)
In some instances you may not have any symptoms at all.
How
do you get it?
NGU is often a sexually transmitted infection. Like gonorrhea,
it does not require penetration to spread between partners. Close
physical contact may be enough. It can also be found in your throat
and anus. In addition to chlamydia (which can be found in a partner's
throat), you can also develop urethritis from other bacteria that
are normally present in a partner's mouth and then spread to your
urethra during unprotected oral sex.
If
untreated the infection can spread from your urethra to your epididymis
and prostate. You can even spread it to other parts of your own
body. Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs to infect your
eye. And no, you didn't get it because some guy hit the target:
your fingers spread it there.
How
to treat it?
Most cases of NGU are caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and UU and
doctors will often treat you for these infections even before
the culture results return. Many doctors will also treat you for
gonorrhea at the same time -- again because it takes several days
for the culture results to return -- days in which you can get
sicker.
Prevention
A condom will prevent urethritis. You can catch urethritis when
you insert your penis into someone's mouth or anus without a condom
on.
Incubation
period
NGU has a longer and more variable incubation period than gonorrhea.
Typically symptoms begin one to five weeks after the onset of
infection.
Sex
Most cases of NGU are caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma
urealyticum. A condom will protect you. You can catch urethritis
from oral or anal sex, and other close contact. Penetration may
not be necessary.
Prevalence
There are over four million new cases each year in the U.S. Chlamydia
is the fastest growing and most prevelant STD in the USA today.
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