Irritation in urethra

[london11]

About a month ago I had unprotected sex with a friend of mine.  She said she was clean and had been tested a few months earlier.  After 15 days I went to the clinic and got tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea.  Both came back negative.  Was feeling fine until about 27 days after when I started to feel a slight irritation in my urethra (mostly near the tip of my penis), which has gotten a little bit worse in the last couple days.  I'm very worried, since I just started a monogamous relationship and had sex with my new gf just prior to feeling the irritation (I figured after the negative tests I was ok).  The irritation comes and goes a bit, occurs more often when sitting as opposed to walking around, usually don't feel anything when I urinate, and there's no discharge that I can tell.

- What are the chances that I caught Trichomoniasis, which I've recently learned is the most common STD even though most people don't know about it and few get tested?  The girl I slept with said she had a clean bill of health but I don't think her gyno tested for that, since she had never heard of trich.
- What about NGU?
- Could this just be a case of genital anxiety?  I feel very nervous, and so perhaps I have more awareness of any sensations.  It could very well be psychosomatic, but it certainly feels real.
- Is it possible my urine test after 15 days failed to pick up something and gave me a false negative?
- If I do have something is it likely that I passed it on to my gf?

[Edward W Hook, MD]

The urethra is quite sensitive and the sort of discomfort that comes and goes as you describe is far and away most often physiologic, reflecting the time since last urination, urine concentration and content and many other variables.  When this is combined with increased attention to the possiblity of irritation, most people perceive sensations such as you describe.  EWH

[london11]

Thank you doctor.  I appreciate your encouraging response.  I didn't realize that trich is usually tested in women when they go for routine screenings.  I thought they only did that when symptoms appear.  I just figured they didn't test it, since my friend had never heard of the disease.  Her gyno simply told her she was fine.

While I certainly understand that a lot of "symptoms" can be generated in one's head when they're anxious, I still think that there could be an actual issue, since I'm still feeling a slight irritation in the urethra (sort of similar to if you were to get soap in there), albeit not as pronounced as the last couple days.  Took a warm bath, which seemed to help a bit.  So if not an STI, what could cause these off and on symptoms?

As for the internet, I'll try to limit my personal online research and not read everything that gets posted on this subject  (this website and your valued opinion notwithstanding).

[Edward W Hook, MD]

Welcome to the Forum.  I'll be pleased to assure you that you do not have trichomonas, or for that matter, any other STI.  When women are evaluated for STIs, they are typically tested for trich.  Thus it is unlikely that your partner had it.  Further, while the infections are common in women, most trich infections in men are relatively transient.  In addition, urethral infections due to STIs in men do not cause symptoms which come and go.  The symptoms typically are present continuously and then, if anything progress.

On the other hand, when men begin to worry about the possibility of STIs, it is quite typical for them to notice normal sensations which are unnoticed when their attention is not focused on the possibility of STI.  I suspect this may be the origin of what you have noticed.  

At this time, other than admitting your misstep to your regular partner (something most men are unable to do), my advice would be to try to move forward and not worry.  In that the Internet is a common source of fuel for anxieties and of misinformation, I would also suggest you to not search the net for answers- what you hear there is far more likely to mislead you than help.  EWH