Discharge after sex in men (normal, white): how to distinguish STDs

Discharge and urethra in men after sexual intercourse with STDs is the most common symptom if a sexual infection affects the urethral mucosa or prostate in a man.

Seeing the discharge from the urethra, especially if they are accompanied by discomfort during urination, everyone will quickly run to the venereologist to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Allocations are not always plentiful and noticeable. Some men generally take scanty discharge with chlamydia or mycoplasmosis as the norm and believe that this is the so-called "lubrication" that appears during sexual arousal.

The classic discharges for venereal urethritis are described below, but only a specialist, a venereologist or a urologist, can still understand this problem. For men, I can immediately give the following recommendation: in the event of any discharge from the urethra or plaque on the penis, go immediately to the doctor, normally there is no discharge from the urethra it happens!

It often happens that a man, having seen the discharge, begins to search the Internet for their description, sets himself diagnosis from pictures, begins to drink some pills and brings the acute urethritis he had to chronic form. Next - chronic venereal prostatitis, and constant monitoring with the treatment of its exacerbations by a urologist-venereologist.

Therefore, the first thing to do when discharge appears is to visit a venereologist and take a smear from the urethra and PCR analysis for STIs.

Physiological discharge, which is the norm

The amount and color of discharge from the penis of a man depends on the state in which the main organ is located. During sexual arousal, clear mucus is released, which is a lubricant and facilitates the release of semen at the end of intercourse. Such secretions are called "libidinal urethrorrhea." The amount of fluid released during arousal individually for each man may depend on the time of sexual abstinence.

Another type of discharge that is the norm for the male body is smegma. This is the secret of the glands located near the foreskin with an admixture of desquamated epithelial cells. Smegma has a white color, is formed in scanty quantities, is able to accumulate on the glans penis, in the sheets of the foreskin. Its function is to provide sliding between the head and the foreskin. Every day, a man must toilet the penis, washing off the smegma, otherwise it can become a good breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms, which will later manifest itself as inflammation.

Sperm is also a type of physiological secretion if ejaculation occurs at its peak. sexual arousal (orgasm) and in adolescents at night at the stage of formation of sexual function (pollutions). The flow of semen in a calm state of the penis, without the presence of excitation, indicates a serious disease of the spinal cord.

Type of discharge in men

• Mucous membranes from the urethra, observed regardless of the act of urination, acquiring the appearance of pus over several days, occurring with inflammation of the urethral sponges, skin of the penis (swelling, itching, redness, crusting) may characterize an allergic process. A change in the nature of the discharge, from mucous to purulent, indicates the addition of a bacterial flora, and is a complication of allergic urethritis.

• The appearance of acute burning pains during the administration of small needs, the appearance of flakes of pus in the urine, discharge from the urethra in the morning, which cause damage to the skin of the head and sponges of the canal in the form of erosions, ulcers inherent in gonorrheal, trichomonas, chlamydial infections. The acute manifestation of any infectious sexual diseases indicates a high pathogenicity of the microbe, but also about the good immunity of a man.

• Scanty discharge from the urethra, mucopurulent, occurring with "clean" periods (when the man is not notices discharge, with the subsidence of local pain symptoms or their disappearance), are characteristic of dysbacteriosis. Pathologies develop due to the active reproduction of conditionally pathogenic bacteria. Such bacteria become enemies for a man against the background of urolithiasis, hypothermia, and heavy intake of alcoholic beverages.

• Another type of non-specific inflammation of the urethra, causing mild manifestations in men, occurs as an infectious-allergic process. It may be a reaction to the acid-base environment of the woman's vagina, be caused by dysbacteriosis.

How to distinguish a normal state from a pathology

sign	Norm	Deviation
Time of occurrence, frequency	Before, during or after intercourse, when aroused	Regardless of intimacy, after sleep, after urination, defecation, sometimes drips constantly
Smell	Characteristic (egg white or chestnut) or odorless	Putrid, sour, offensive, reminiscent of fish, etc.
Color, consistency	Transparent or whitish, the consistency often resembles raw protein, sometimes sticky, viscous.	Curdled, thick, white, greenish, brown, interspersed with blood clots, pus. Are transparent with a viral disease
Additional symptoms	No	Itching, burning, redness, pain

Sexually transmitted diseases

Sexual infections are initially asymptomatic, the incubation period is from 7 to 21 days, sometimes 6 months. Allocations appear when infected with the following diseases:

• Hepatitis;
• HIV;
• Gonorrhea;
• Chlamydia;
• Trichomoniasis;
• Candidiasis;
• Ureaplasmosis;
• human papillomavirus;
• Mycoplasmosis;
• AIDS.

Chlamydia, ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis first cause transparent viscous discharge. The only sign of pathology is the absence of causes for the natural appearance of fluid. Further, the pathologies lead to a change in the color and consistency of the discharge - it becomes translucent, slimy, resembling pus.

Gonorrhea is characterized by offensive greenish or brown substances. Accompanied by severe pain and itching.

Hepatitis often causes the outflow of a small volume of liquid, it settles on the head of the penis, and when it dries, a white coating forms. A characteristic additional sign is turbidity and darkening of urine.

Candidiasis is accompanied by the appearance of curdled clots, but they are much less than in the case of the female "thrush". There is itching, burning, redness of the head.

With trichomoniasis, stretching, translucent mucus, cramps, itching with frequent urination appear. The urethra swells, the area around it turns red, inflamed.

The color and consistency of discharge in men

Allocations in men can have different transparency and color. These signs are affected by the intensity of inflammation, the cause of inflammation, and the stage of inflammation. The secretions consist of fluid, mucus and cells. The more cells, the more cloudy the discharge. If the epithelium predominates among the discharge cells, the discharge becomes gray and has a thick consistency. If there are a lot of leukocytes in the secretions, they become green and yellow. With candidiasis of the urethra (thrush) in men, the discharge becomes white and has a dense texture. The intensity and stage of inflammation can cause changes in secretions in the same disease at different times.

Clear (mucous) discharge

Discharge of a transparent color in the form of thick mucus often accompanies inflammation caused by chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma.

They are distinguished from physiological secretions by a larger amount, increased viscosity. This is the result of infections that are transmitted sexually. In addition to discharge, a man may be disturbed by itching and burning, not expressed pain during urination.

White highlights

The presence of white discharge from the genital tract makes one suspect the presence of thrush. Although this is not as common in men as it is in women, it does occur. Thrush is the result of the activation of the fungal flora, which occurs against the background of a decrease in the body's immune forces, during treatment with antibiotics, with diabetes, severe stress, and serious illnesses.

On the head of the penis, white curdled masses, redness, itching or burning may be disturbed. The discharge quickly reappears, despite frequent washing of the organ. It requires antifungal therapy and an increase in the body's defenses.

Purulent and mucopurulent discharge

Allocations with an admixture of mucus and pus are observed with such sexual infections as trichomoniasis, gonorrhea. Often, a patient has several infections at once, which is called a “bouquet of diseases”. Therefore, the nature of the discharge can be mixed.

Purulent discharge is not always associated with sexually transmitted infections. This may be the result of inflammation of the urinary tract caused by streptococcus, staphylococcus, as well as inflammation of the glans penis and foreskin - balanitis and balanoposthitis. In this case, purulent discharge is accompanied by difficulty urinating, the presence of redness, swelling and soreness in the area of ​​​​the glans penis.

Bloody

If sperm expires without prior excitement and subsequent orgasm, this is a pathology. Doctors diagnose "spermatorrhea". The reasons lie in muscle disorders, problems of the central nervous system. It often occurs in old age or with advanced prostatitis, prostate adenoma.

Discharge with blood - hematospermia, appear with malignant neoplasms in the urethra, penile cancer, trauma. Sometimes the result of the release of calculi through the urinary tract.

Inflammatory processes

Not always pathologies that cause discharge from the penis are sexually transmitted. Sometimes the problem occurs against the background of a spreading infection that has arisen after tactile contact or is transmitted by airborne droplets.

Bacteria, viruses, fungi in large numbers cause an inflammatory reaction. Abnormal discharge appears with inflammation of the urethra, spermatic cord, spermatic tubercle, prostate gland, foreskin and other elements of the reproductive system.

The type of discharge depends on the microorganism that caused the disease. For example, bacteria almost immediately provoke the appearance of pus: the mucus is fetid, of an unpleasant color.

There are also non-inflammatory diseases in which discharge is observed. This is:

• Spermatorrhea is the leakage of semen without physiological causes. There is no sexual arousal, masturbation, orgasm. The disease is associated with pathologies of the spine, nervous system. This may be due to chronic stress or inflammation of the genital organs. And also as a result of a decrease in the muscle strength of the vas deferens.
• Hematorrhea is the discharge of blood. This condition can occur after the installation of a catheter, taking a smear from the urethra, bougienage. Usually there is not much blood, it stops quickly. If particles depart from the bladder during urolithiasis, then this is accompanied by sharp pain, an admixture of blood in the urine, and high blood pressure.
• Onco diseases of the prostate, adenoma, bladder are characterized by brownish discharge. Brown discharge with mucus can also be with polyposis of the urethra or bladder.

Allocations with thrush in men

Color - white, can be curdled. This is due to the development of pathogenic microflora, in particular, bacterial and fungal. Thrush is often caused by fungi of the genus Candida, so it is also called candidiasis. With intensive reproduction of the fungus, a white coating forms. When a large amount of fungus accumulates, the degree of seeding becomes quite high, the fungus accumulates in the form of conglomerates that are visible to the naked eye. They appear as white flakes.

Usually, with thrush, white spots are accompanied by discomfort, an unpleasant feeling. With deep tissue damage by fungi, pain in the anus is possible. In severe lesions and a high degree of bacterial contamination, inflammation of the anus occurs. Such uncontrolled growth of the fungus occurs with reduced immunity. Especially often such a pathology is observed with antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thrush in men is rarely sexually transmitted. It is usually the result of a violation of the normal microflora within one's own body. But there is a high probability of transmission of candida sexually from a man to a woman.

Allocations in men with venereal urethritis

Discharge from the urethra in STDs in men usually begins 3-7 days after contact, although there are exceptions.

1. In gonorrhea discharge is purulent, yellow, white, thick, copious. Appears 2-5 days after infection. We observed the fastest manifestation of gonorrhea 12 hours after intercourse. There is also a longer incubation period of up to 10-14 days if gonorrhea occurs simultaneously with trichomoniasis.
2. With chlamydia, discharge appears on average 10-14 days after infection, sometimes after 3-4 weeks. There are frequent cases of prolonged asymptomatic carriage of chlamydia. The discharge is liquid, turbid, less often mucopurulent.
3. Trichomoniasis is characterized by frothy discharge. There is a mixture of mucus and pus. Patients note their appearance 7-14 days after unprotected sex.
4. Gardnerellosis in men is not often accompanied by discharge from the urethra. Usually worried about the unpleasant "fishy" smell from the penis, redness. But, sometimes there is scant mucous discharge 5-10 days after infection with an STD.
5. Fungal infection of the urethra occurs with candidal balanoposthitis. That is, when the head of the penis is affected and the fungus has still penetrated the urethra. In this case, the discharge will be white curdled.
6. Mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis at the stage of urethritis are not often manifested by secretions, they usually appear when prostatitis is already developing. I have the appearance of cloudy mucus, liquid, not abundant. The earliest appear 10-14 days after infection.
7. Herpetic urethritis is characterized by clear discharge, sometimes with an admixture of blood. Usually, bubble and erosive lesions of the skin of the penis and urethra are observed simultaneously.

As you understand, discharge from the urethra in STDs in men is very diverse in various diseases. Moreover, it can be not only sexually transmitted diseases, but also bacterial urethritis, prostatitis, cystitis. One thing is for sure: with any discharge from the urethra, you need to go to the doctor, and not self-medicate.

Allocations for chlamydia in men

With chlamydia, discharge is a natural phenomenon. The disease affects the genitourinary system. The disease can proceed secretly. It often happens that a person for a long time does not even suspect that he was infected with chlamydia. It develops asymptomatically, without causing any discomfort to a person. It is activated, as a rule, against the background of reduced immunity and a weakened body.

It is often found when the degree of damage is high enough. It cannot be detected by conventional methods. For detection, it is advisable to analyze for latent infections. A smear is also taken, in which the presence of a microorganism is established by PCR methods. At the same time, a large number of leukocytes are also found in the smear, which indicates an inflammatory process. The ELISA method is less commonly used. Its effectiveness and information content is much lower. Thus, the reliability of PCR is 95-97%, while the efficiency of ELISA is approximately 70-75%.

Infection occurs mainly through sexual contact. Infection by domestic means is impossible, since the bacterium quickly dies in the environment. The unmanifested period is quite long: 3-4 weeks, sometimes more. Chlamydia is a serious infectious disease that is quite difficult to get rid of. The causative agent of this disease is chlamydia, which is an obligate intracellular parasite that multiplies and develops inside the host cell, gradually destroying it from the inside. It is in connection with the fact that the pathogen is an intracellular parasite that the bacterium is so dangerous. It is difficult to diagnose and treat, it is one of the latent infections.

To date, there are no diagnostic methods that allow intracellular detection of parasites. The presence of chlamydial infection is judged by indirect laboratory methods, in particular by the number of antibodies and antigens. Treatment is also not effective enough due to the fact that drugs are not able to penetrate into the cell, do not pass through the cell membrane.

Thus, chlamydia protected itself twice. On the one hand, it has a reliable own protection system in the form of a dense cell membrane, polysaccharides, which are part of the cell. They provide it with a high penetrating ability, thanks to which it can penetrate into the cell, as well as high resistance to antibacterial drugs. On the other hand, due to the fact that the chlamydial cell is inside the host cell, it acquires additional protection from the impact of the human immune system, which simply does not recognize the pathogen as a foreign agent, respectively, the immune response does not arises. Antibiotics and modern antibacterial drugs are not able to penetrate the cell membrane, respectively, they have no effect on chlamydia.

Chlamydia is dangerous for its complications, especially the appearance of epididymitis (inflammation of the testicles). It is a common cause of infertility.

Treatment mainly consists of antibiotic therapy, while taking new generation antibiotics. Additionally, immunotherapy, physiotherapy can be prescribed. Prevention consists in avoiding casual sex. It is not recommended to frequently change sexual partners. You also need to periodically undergo preventive medical examinations, take tests, especially after dubious relationships.

Allocations for syphilis in men

Syphilis is considered a fairly serious venereal pathological condition. It is caused by pale treponema. The incubation period is from 1 to 6 months, and significantly depends on the lifestyle and immunity of the man. Accompanied by copious white discharge, less often they take the form of pus. There is severe itching, redness. Later, the skin becomes covered with erosions and a small red eruption spreading over all the genitals. It is dangerous because it can affect the insides and skin, progress. It even ends in death if left untreated. A man infects his partner, so both need to be treated.

Allocations with ureaplasmosis in men

Ureaplasmas are microscopic bacteria that normally inhabit the human urinary tract. Previously, they were assigned to mycoplasmas, but over time they were separated into a separate genus. The classification is based on their ability to split urea. Microorganisms belong to conditionally pathogenic forms. In normal, moderate amounts, they are part of the normal microflora of the urogenital tract, providing protection against other, pathogenic microorganisms.

With reduced immunity, weakening and overwork of the body, their degree of contamination increases sharply and significantly exceeds the norm.

In women, the number of ureaplasmas is significantly higher than in girls who do not live sexually. So, in girls they are found only in 5-15% of cases.

Infection during childbirth can occur, so ureaplasmosis should be treated, even if the disease does not cause discomfort and is asymptomatic. In men, self-healing is possible, which never happens in women. Treatment requires long-term antibiotic therapy.

Discharge for gonorrhea in men

Gonorrhea is always accompanied by discharge. It affects the genitals. It is impossible to get infected by household means, because it dies outside the body. The danger lies in complications, the possibility of infecting a woman.

The incubation period is quite short. The main symptoms are white-yellow discharge and pain. Serious consequences may develop: gonococcal pharyngitis (an infectious and inflammatory process in the pharynx. An infection from the urinary tract can be transmitted to the rectum. Other infections also develop. Eventually, infertility usually develops. Of particular danger is the generalization of the infection, which affects other vital organs. Diagnose using a common smear, in which pathogens are detected by PCR. Bacteriological culture may be required for higher accuracy. Antibacterial treatment. Antibiotics are prescribed. Often gonorrhea develops together with chlamydial infection.

Allocations in men with trichomoniasis

It is transmitted sexually, only during traditional sexual intercourse. Pathogens - Trichomonas well adapt to the external space, if there is moisture. Therefore, there is a possibility of transmission of infection through rags, a humid environment. Manifested by white discharge and mucus. There is pain and burning. Identification consists in smear microscopy. If necessary, bacteriological culture is carried out. It is treated with special antiparasitic and antifungal agents. With a long or chronic course of the disease, combined therapy is used, which includes immunocorrection, vitamin therapy, and physiotherapy. During treatment, it is imperative to treat both sexual partners, even if the second is not sick, or the symptoms of the disease are not manifested.

HIV discharge in men

HIV is the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. The body loses its ability to protect itself from foreign agents (viruses, bacteria). As a result, a person becomes defenseless, susceptible to infection. The body is not able to cope with even the simplest infection, since lymphocytes, which are the main protective cells of the immune system, are affected. Death can occur even as a result of the simplest cold, which the body cannot cope with.

This disease is characterized by a latent course and a long incubation period. A person may not know that he is infected, however, the disease develops in his blood, the virus multiplies, and the decrease in immunity continues. The disease may appear suddenly. Also, being a carrier of the virus, a man infects sexual partners.

The disease is transmitted through the blood (during blood transfusion, transplantation, during surgical and other manipulations using non-sterile instruments), sexually. Less commonly, the disease is transmitted transplacentally or during childbirth from mother to child, with breast milk. The incubation period for this disease can range from 2-3 months to 10 years.

The disease is manifested by a decrease in appetite, a sharp loss of weight, the appearance of weakness, increased fatigue, and sweating. A person is sick for a long time, often exposed to colds. A common cold can last for several months.

Allocations are usually the result of a decrease in immunity, against which the infection joins, and its intensive growth occurs. Can develop thrush, various dysbacteriosis. There is a wide variety of discharge - from white to brown-green, purulent.

Discharge for herpes in men

Herpes is a viral disease in which the pathogen mainly affects the lymph, and accumulates in the lymphatic tissue, nodes. It can persist in the blood for a long time, creating a viral load on the body, undermining the defense mechanisms.

There are several types of herpes, including one that is sexually transmitted. With its progression, an inflammatory process develops in the genital area, abundant discharge occurs. Most often they are mucous, less often - purulent. It is possible to accurately determine the cause of the discharge only by the results of a virological study, which will show the presence of the virus in the blood and its exact concentration.

Allocations with gardnerellosis

Gardnerellosis is a dysbacteriosis of the vagina and therefore, according to some experts, consider it a direct male disease is impossible, although the fact that gardnerella causes gardnerellosis, and this can cause inflammatory processes. Gardnerella enters the male reproductive system during sexual intercourse, and since it is not a “legal resident” of the male genital tract, gardnerellosis can be considered a sexual infection. Gardnerella often enters the male body and, as a rule, leaves the reproductive system in 2-3 days.

Rarely, chronic carriage of gardnerella develops, in which the tests are always positive, although no symptoms of the disease are noticeable. In 9 cases out of 10, gardnerellosis is not detected at all in men, and it is so dangerous that the sexual partners of this man become infected and have no idea about it. In the classic case, as soon as the pathogens of this disease enter the urinary canal during intercourse, they cause an inflammatory process of the mucous wall, which proceeds sluggishly. It is possible that in this case, the discharge from the penis will be greenish in color, which disturbs the patient a little.

Diagnosis and treatment

Treatment of diseases of the male genital area, including the treatment of STDs, is within the competence of urologists and andrologists. With an infectious lesion, therapy is prescribed by a venereologist. The cause of the plaque on the penis is diagnosed based on the results:

• visual medical examination;
• studying the patient's premorbid background;
• laboratory tests: OKA and blood biochemistry, urethral smear, urinalysis;
• ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs.

Based on the results of the examination, the doctor chooses the tactics of treatment, determines the drugs, dosage and duration of the therapeutic course. For bacterial, prokaryotic, parasitic infections, antibiotics are prescribed. Candidiasis is treated with antimycotics in tablets and ointments. In diabetes mellitus and psoriasis, the main treatment and diet therapy are corrected.

Preventive measures help prevent unpleasant manifestations - thorough hygiene of the genitals, barrier contraceptives, strengthening immunity compliance with the recommendations of the attending physician (for chronic diseases). An important point is the timely visit to the urologist, both in the event of symptomatic complaints and for prevention.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle is a prevention against many diseases, and those that cause pathological discharge from the urethra are no exception. That is why the preventive measures in this case are as follows:

• A balanced diet, minimizing the consumption of fatty and spicy foods, preservatives and carcinogens, which create a serious burden on the kidneys and bladder;
• Elimination of the risk of hypothermia of the body, wearing warm, comfortable clothes that reliably protect the lower part of the body in the cold season;
• Exclusion of stressful situations and excessive physical exertion;
• Refusal to consume alcohol and tobacco;
• Compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
• Refusal to wear underwear made of synthetic materials that can cause an allergic reaction.