What is Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU) Infection?

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What is Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU) Infection?

NGU is an infection of the urethra caused by germs other than gonorrhea, most often chlamydia.

Sexually, NGU can be transmitted with direct mucous membrane contact vaginally, anally, or orally, even if body fluids are not exchanged.

Nonsexually, NGU may be caused by urinary tract infections, an inflamed prostate gland, a tightening of the foreskin, or a tightening or closing of the urethal tube in the penis. Infants may contract NGU from the birth canal which may lead to infections in the eyes, ears, or lungs.
Symptoms

NGU can cause other infections like vaginitis and mucopurulent cervicitis. Women may have no symptoms, but can experience vaginal discharge, burning during urination, or the infection may progress to PID or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.

Men may experience burning during urination, itching, irritation, sensitivity, or discharge from the penis.

NGU anal infection may produce a discharge or pain when eliminating or rectal itching. Oral infections are usually asymptomatic, but in rare occasions will result in a sore throat.
Treatment

Drug treatments include azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin, and ofloxacin.
Testing

After gonorrhea is ruled out, a chlamydia culture, or sometimes, a urinalysis can be done.


What are the symptoms of NGU?

It usually takes one to three weeks after the infection occurs before a man develops any symptoms of NGU. The first symptom is usually a leakage of milky fluid (discharge) from the tip of the penis. The amount of discharge may vary from a little to quite a lot. There also may be mild burning of the penis during urination. If the symptoms are ignored, the discharge may decrease although the infection is still present. Sometimes there are no symptoms. If left untreated, the infection may move up around the testicles, causing pain, swelling and sterility. The infection also may spread to other parts of the body, causing severe illness.

How can I know if I have NGU?

If you think you have NGU, or any STD, contact your health care provider. He or she will examine you and perform tests, if necessary, to determine if you have an STD. A sample of fluid is taken from the penis and tested for the germs that cause gonorrhea and chlamydia. Notably, 20% of men with gonorrhea are co-infected with Chlamydia. Testing for HIV and other STDS should also be done in confirmed cases of NGU.

How is NGU treated?

NGU is most often treated with medicines known as antibiotics. Antibiotics kill the germs causing the infection. The most common antibiotics used to treat NGU are doxycycline, which is taken twice a day for a week, or macrolide antibiotics, such as azithromycin. This treatment cures the infection about 90 percent of the time. If you are allergic to doxycycline, or if doxycycline does not cure your infection, other medicines may be used.

What should I do after being treated?

* Make sure you take all of the medicine you have been given. Do not stop taking the medicine, even if your symptoms go away. Do not share your medicine with others.
* Do not have sex until you have taken all of the medicine and you are sure that the discharge is gone.
* Men can check themselves for discharge by gently squeezing the penis. The best time to do this is when you get up in the morning before you urinate. Clear fluid from the penis is normal. A discharge that looks like milk or pus means that you still have an infection. Don't check for discharge more than once a day. Squeezing the penis more often may cause irritation and discharge even when there is not an infection.
* Avoid reinfection by always using condoms for vaginal, oral and anal sex.
* Contact all of the people with whom you have had sex during the last three months and advise them to get treated. Remember that there are other causes of NGU besides chlamydia. Even if your partner has a negative chlamydia test, he or she may still have given you the infection.
* If the discharge doesn't go away, or if it goes away and then comes back, return to your health care provider for further treatment.

Please read up guys. I was not careful and got this... it's not fun. I took the pills and it went away, but it's come back now and the last girl I was with was a month ago, so I'm not sure how it is back.

[Kris Hansen]

Infections like that (non-viral) can be treated with antibiotics until they're no longer noticable, but that doesn't always mean they're gone for good. If even a small amount of bacteria survives the antibiotic treatment, you'll get another flare-up later. It is insanely important that you take your entire regimen of pills, not just until you feel better, and check in with your doctor even when you're finished to make sure you're completely clear.