UTI in Men
By Dr Muhd Afizy Mohamad (19.02.2025)
Urinary tract infection is common in ladies due to the fact of the structural build of a woman. Ladies have shorter urethra that share the same place with the vaginal opening. Men have longer urethra and do not have anything else to share with.
UTI in men are commonly caused by 2 reasons which are sexually transmitted infection and bladder stones. Ironically recurrent UTI can also cause men to develop bladder stones.
Not only that, urinary tract infection can happen to any part of the urinary system including kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Hence it is important for a doctor to identify the cause of the infection and treat them early to prevent complications.
Among the symptoms of UTI include:
Pain during micturition
Increase in frequency of having to go to the toilet
Incomplete voiding sensation
Yellow or greenish discharge from urethra
Blood in urine
No matter how mild the symptom is, it is usually a very uncomfortable feeling for men and usually prompts them to seek treatment. Older men tend to get UTI due to stones and structural issues such as urinary strictures or even tumors that cause obstruction leading to an infection.
Younger men tend to get it from their lifestyle choices, for example multiple sexual partners, poor hygiene, and comorbidities such as diabetes that increase the risk of a person to get infections.
I wanted to focus more on the lifestyle causes of UTI, particularly sexual activities. This infection is also called Sexually transmitted disease (STD). Nowadays, we have seen an increase in the incidence of UTI caused by STDs most commonly Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. These bacteria usually cause discharge and burning sensation while peeing. Symptoms might appear as early as a few days to a few weeks after your last exposure to high-risk behaviors. Worse case is sometimes they do not present with any symptoms and this can lead to further transmission as the person who harbors the bacteria might pass it to another person at another time.
How do we deal with it?
Well, the best way is if you belong to the group that is at higher risk to get this infection I.e. having multiple partners, not wearing protection, or practices same gender intimacy, you are advised to do regular screening if you do not have symptoms. At least an annual test if you are not so active but if you are quite active sexually, you must do it frequently about 2-4 times a year.
By doing this, you are being responsible to yourself, your partners and most importantly to the community.
Those who have been infected, please get treatment, and avoid any sexual contact while you are having symptoms. Treatment usually involves a course of antibiotics and sometimes requires two courses if you were unfortunately infected with the stronger type of bacteria and a repeat test to make sure that you have been fully cured by the infections.
#MensHealth #UTI #SexualHealth #STDPrevention #UTISymptoms #UTITreatment #KLEMClinics #HealthAwareness #SafeSex #UTIRisks #Gonorrhea #Chlamydia #SexualWellness #UTIPrevention
