Penile Discharge

Penile discharge is fluid coming from the opening of the penis that is not urine, pre-ejaculate, or semen, whereas clear fluid produced during sexual arousal is a normal finding. It is most often a sign of a sexually transmitted infection, chiefly gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis; in gonorrhea the discharge is typically white, yellow, or green and appears in roughly ninety percent of infected men, usually within two to five days of exposure. Other causes include nonspecific urethritis, acute prostatitis, balanitis, genital warts, herpes simplex ulcers near the urethral opening, a foreign object in the urethra, or recent urinary procedures, and bloody discharge can be a sign of urethral cancer. Diagnosis is made by laboratory testing of a swab of the discharge, treatment depends on the organism identified, and because the leading causes are sexually transmitted, sexual partners are treated as well and intercourse is avoided until treatment and testing are complete.