‘It Burns When I Pee!’

Brad is 50 and has been married for 20 years. He has sex with his wife a few times a week. Over the past few weeks he has been feeling a burning sensation when he urinates after ejaculating. Is this a sexually transmitted infection or something else?

My advice:

Brad, I’m glad you called, because this isn’t something that will go away on its own. It’s possible you have an STI, but it’s more likely a prostate infection, which is called prostatitis.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that sits right below your bladder.  Urine from the bladder drains through the prostate, so if it’s infected and inflamed, you can have a burning sensation when you pee or ejaculate.

You’ll need to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis.  You could also have a urinary tract infection, which you can get from a female partner. So, if your wife has been going to the bathroom a lot lately, this could be a sign that she has an infection and has given it to you.

I’m going to make a guesstimate and say that at least one out of three men has a prostate infection right now. They’re very common. When you go to the doctor to get the semen and urine tests to check for prostatitis, go through all the other STD/STI tests as well. You should always be doing that and you’ll be in the doctor’s office anyway.

The good news, Brad, is that this probably isn’t serious as long as you take care of it promptly. You trust your wife, and you’re not cheating, so relax about it a little.