Urethra

ByGlenn M. Preminger, MD, Duke Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center
Reviewed/Revised Apr 2022 | Modified Sept 2022
VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION

    The urethra is a tube that drains urine from the bladder out of the body. In men, the urethra is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, ending at the tip of the penis. In women, the urethra is about 1½ inches (4 centimeters) long, ending at the vulva (the area of the external female genital organs).

    Urethra in the Male

    (See also Overview of the Urinary Tract.)

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