Discharge from the penis

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Discharge from the penis

Discharge from the penis may be clear, cloudy, yellow, green, or bloody. It may occur with or without pain. Occasionally a clear discharge occurs in men who have suddenly stopped their usual sexual activity or restarted sexual activity after being inactive. This does not cause pain and is not serious.

Abnormal discharge

Pus or other abnormal discharge from the penis may be caused by an infection of the:

• Head of the penis (balanitis).
• Urethra (urethritis).
• Epididymis (epididymitis).
• Prostate (prostatitis).
• Urinary tract.

Wartlike growths in the urethra (urethral condyloma) can also cause abnormal discharge from the penis.

Bloody discharge

A bloody discharge or blood in the semen may be caused by:

• A broken blood vessel in the fluid-producing sac (seminal vesicle) that adds to the secretion of the prostate and other glands to form semen. The bloody discharge usually will clear with time.
• Prostatitis, an infection of the walnut-shaped cluster of glands located at the bottom of a man's bladder. The prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body through the penis. The prostate gland produces most of the fluid in semen.
• Testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men 15 to 35 years old and is more common in white men than in black men.
• Prostate cancer. This cancer is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth of cells that forms a tumor in the prostate. The cancerous cells also may spread (metastasize) into the lymph nodes, bones, and other parts of the body. Although prostate cancer is very common, most men are not aware they have it.

Credits

Last updated:	March 29, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Philip Belitsky, MD, FRCSC - Urology
Editors:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Tracy Landauer