A burning sensation when you pee is common after sexual intercourse. It’s usually not a big deal but it can be concerning if it persists hours after sex and you are experiencing other urinary symptoms like frequent urination or pain in the groin.
Sometimes painful peeing after sex can be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The most common ones include: syphilis, chlamydia and herpes.
Urethritis
Urethritis is an infection that occurs in the urethra, the tube that takes urine from the bladder to outside the body. Sexually transmitted infections are the most common cause of urethritis, which can lead to itching and pain in the genital area when you pee. Doctors usually diagnose urethritis by taking your medical history and looking at your symptoms. They may also take a sample of your urine to test for bacteria. Medicines that fight infection (antibiotics) are the usual treatment.
The urethra can be irritated by rough sex, using latex condoms, or certain lubricants. Symptoms of urethritis can include burning sensations when you pee, blood or pus in your penile discharge, itching in the area of the urethra, and pain in the lower back, groin, or bottom when you urinate. Urethritis can also lead to prostate problems, such as enlarged or tender glands.
A burning sensation when you pee can be a sign of a serious problem, such as an STI or a urinary tract infection (UTI). It’s important to talk to your doctor about any painful peeing after sex to rule out these conditions and to get proper treatment. In most cases, painful urination after sex isn’t a major concern — but it’s still important to seek medical attention if it happens frequently. Frequent urination after sex can indicate that you have a problem that requires treatment, such as a bacterial infection or prostate problems.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common and can be caused by bacteria, irritation of the bladder or urethra, or sexually transmitted infections like herpes, chlamydia, or gonorrhea. They can also be the result of a traumatic injury or medical condition such as diabetes or a kidney infection. Frequent urination after sexual activity can increase your risk for UTIs.
A UTI occurs when bacteria enter the urethra, which is a tube that runs from your bladder to the outside of your body. The most common cause of a UTI is bacteria that spread from the anus into the urethra during sex or vaginal intercourse. Several factors can increase your chances of getting a UTI, including unprotected sex, having multiple sexual partners, and certain medications and health conditions.
Women are more likely to get a UTI than men, because their urethra is closer to their anus than a man’s. In addition, they are more likely to have a urinary tract infection because of their anatomy, which includes having a short urethra and a narrow, deep meatus.
Women who experience a burning sensation when peeing after sex may need a course of antibiotics to treat the infection, but it is important to see a doctor to rule out any other serious concerns. Unlike other infections, such as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis, painful peeing after sex is usually not a sign of an STI or a UTI.
Prostate Infections
The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. It sits under the bladder and in front of the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). The prostate helps make semen, which protects and energizes sperm as they travel to an egg. Bacterial infections of the prostate can lead to painful ejaculation and changes in how you urinate. This is called bacterial prostatitis. It can be acute or chronic.
Other problems that can cause painful ejaculation include inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis), a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate called benign prostatic hyperplasia, and some types of sexually transmitted diseases. STIs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, can also cause pain when you pee after sex.
When you have pain when you pee after sex, talk to your health care provider. Your provider will ask about your symptoms and your medical history. Your provider may do a digital rectal exam to check your prostate. Your provider may also do a blood test or urine sample to look for bacteria in your urine or in your prostate fluid. Your provider may also do a test called a cystodynamics study or a urethra flow test to measure how much you’re urinating. You might need an ultrasound of your bladder or a procedure called a cystoscopy to get a closer look at your urethra and bladder.
Retrograde Ejaculation
Retrograde ejaculation is when your semen goes backward into your bladder during sexual climax instead of out through the tip of your penis and urethra. It is also known as dry orgasm. It is not painful or harmful, but it can be a factor in infertility. It often causes cloudy urine after sexual activity because the semen is mixed with the urine. Your doctor can tell if you have retrograde ejaculation by taking a sample of your urine immediately after your orgasm. The sample is tested for the presence of fructose, which indicates that sperm has entered your bladder.
There are medications that can help you avoid retrograde ejaculation by tightening the muscles of the bladder neck. These include the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (Tofranil) and the stimulants pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine. If your retrograde ejaculation is caused by a medication, your doctor may be able to switch you to a different type of drug that does not cause it.
Many men who have retrograde ejaculation do not need treatment, especially if they don’t want children. However, if you and your partner are trying to conceive, your doctor can prescribe medications that increase muscle tone of the bladder neck and prevent RE. If medication doesn’t work, you can try assisted reproductive technology. In this procedure, sperm is removed from the bladder and used to inseminate your partner’s uterus.
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