What Does It Mean If A Man Has White Discharge?

What does it mean if a man has white discharge? In general, white discharge is a result of urethritis. Urethritis is when the urethra, from which semen and urine leave the penis, becomes inflamed and fluid collects as a result of an infection.

Urethritis is sometimes caused by the same germs that also cause certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs). The resulting penile discharge can vary greatly. It is sometimes white, but can also be watery or cloudy and can even contain pus or blood. Additionally, it can have a foul odor. However, it often doesn’t have any noticeable symptoms at all.

Take Control of Your Own Health: Test At Home

What does it mean if a man has white discharge? Sometimes it can mean the presence of an STI.  Since the germs associated with these infections can cause urethritis, this may be an indicator of what is at the root of the problem. You see, since many STIs go undiagnosed, penile discharge may be a sign of an undetected infection.

If you are sexually active, getting tested is crucial for knowing whether or not you are carrying an infection. Luckily, testing from home is quick and easy.  Here’s how it works:

• Order online (with free shipping!)
• Collect a sample using easy-to-follow instructions
• Return the sample for testing
• Receive lab-certified results online

STDs That Can Cause Penile Discharge

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

When left untreated, chlamydia can cause serious health problems, including infertility, so it is important to get tested for any instance of penile discharge. Additionally, gonorrhea, commonly known as “the drip,” can result in health issues.  These sexually transmitted infections can result in some of the following symptoms in men:

• A burning feeling during urination
• Frequent urination
• Testicular pain, tenderness and swelling
• Rectal pain, discharge and/or bleeding

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis (Trich) can cause pain related to the penis. Most men will not experience any symptoms. However, if the following signs occur, you should consider getting tested for trich:

• discomfort and burning after urination
• itching inside the penis
• discharge from the penis
• discomfort during intercourse and burning after ejaculation

Mycoplasma genitalium

Like other sexually transmitted infections, mycoplasma genitalium is often asymptomatic. When symptoms do occur, they often include urethritis. This STI is associated with inflammatory urogenital and reproductive tract disease in men and women. Mycoplasma genitalium is also frequently undiagnosed because testing for this infection is often not performed.

Test From the Comfort of Home

You can screen for each of the above STIs from the comfort of your own home with myLAB Box’s home testing service. Even better, you can screen for all four of these infections all at once, in addition to ten other common infections, as part of a combination test kit: The Total Box. The ability to test for multiple infections at once streamlines the testing process and makes it even more cost efficient. Other combination test kits are available as well, such as the 5-panel Safe Box and 8-panel Uber Box, in addition to test kits that screen for infections individually.

Hopefully the question of “what does it mean if a man has white discharge?” has been answered for you.  Now you may also have a better idea of which at-home STD test to use as well! After all, the only way to get to the root of your symptoms and know your status for sure is to get tested.