What is urethritis?
Urethritis is an infection of your urethra, which is the tube attached to your bladder that lets urine flow out of your body.
Urethritis is usually caused by bacteria that you get from sex (a sexually transmitted infection Overview of Sexually Transmitted Infections STIs are infections that are passed from person to person through sexual contact, including oral sex. STIs may be caused by different types of germs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and... read more )
Common symptoms are pain and burning when you urinate (pee) and feeling the need to urinate more often or more strongly
Sometimes a fluid comes out of your urethra that is thick and yellowish green, or clear and thin
Antibiotics usually treat urethritis
If you don’t treat urethritis, you can get bladder Bladder Infection Your bladder is the hollow organ that holds urine until you're ready to urinate (pee). A bladder infection is usually caused by bacteria. Bladder infections are also called cystitis. Bladder... read more or kidney infections Kidney Infection Your kidneys are the 2 bean-shaped organs that filter waste products out of your blood and make urine. Sometimes a kidney gets infected by bacteria. Kidney infections are usually caused by the... read more or a sore in your urethra
The Urinary Tract
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What causes urethritis?
Urethritis is usually caused by:
What are the symptoms of urethritis?
Pain or burning when you urinate (pee)
Feeling an urgent need to urinate often
With gonorrhea Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). An STI is an infection that is spread from person to person by sexual contact. Gonorrhea infects your genitals and, in women, your fallopian... read more , a thick, yellowish-green fluid coming out of your urethra
With chlamydia Chlamydia Chlamydia are bacteria that can cause several kinds of infection. One common chlamydia infection is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). An STI is an infection that is spread from person... read more , sometimes a clear, thin fluid coming out of your urethra
If your urethritis isn't treated, scar tissue can form that makes your urethra narrower (this is called a stricture). This narrowing can make it hard to urinate. It can also increase your risk of a bladder infection Bladder Infection Your bladder is the hollow organ that holds urine until you're ready to urinate (pee). A bladder infection is usually caused by bacteria. Bladder infections are also called cystitis. Bladder... read more or kidney infection Kidney Infection Your kidneys are the 2 bean-shaped organs that filter waste products out of your blood and make urine. Sometimes a kidney gets infected by bacteria. Kidney infections are usually caused by the... read more .
How can doctors tell if I have urethritis?
Your doctor can tell if you have urethritis based on:
Tests of your urine or of the fluid coming out of your urethra
How do doctors treat urethritis?
Doctors treat urethritis differently depending on the cause. Usually, they give antibiotics. If you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), your sex partner will also need to be treated. You shouldn't have sex until you and your partner have been successfully treated.
How can I prevent urethritis?
You can prevent urethritis caused by STIs by using a condom Condoms Barrier contraceptives physically block the sperm’s access to a woman’s uterus. They include condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, contraceptive gels, contraceptive sponges, and spermicides (foams... read more 
during sex.
