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NSU (Non-Specific Urethritis)

What is non-specific urethritis (NSU)?
Non-specific urethritis (NSU) only affects men. It is an inflammation of the urethra - the tube that carries urine from the bladder through to the tip of the penis.

It was originally called non-specific because medical experts were unsure about its cause.

What causes it?
It is now known that NSU can be triggered by several different types of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, in most cases it is caused by chlamydia - an STI usually transmitted by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with an infected partner.

Other less common causes of NSU include:

• Damage to the urethra during rough or vigorous sex
• Getting a urine infection or picking up an infection from your partner
• Having an allergy
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, which can irritate the urethra

The best protection against NSU is to wear a condom.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of NSU can take months or even years to materialise. They include:

• Discharge from the tip of the penis, usually white or cloudy and often first thing in the morning
• Painful or burning sensation when urinating
• Needing to urinate a lot

Diagnosis
If you suspect that you have NSU, you should visit your GP or local genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic as soon as you can. They will:

• Examine your genital area
• Take swabs from the penis and/or urethra
• Possibly ask for a urine sample

Your samples will be sent away to a laboratory for testing and results should be back within a week.

Treatment
Once diagnosed, NSU is easy to treat:

• You should be prescribed one or two courses of antibiotics.
• Avoid any sexual activity and cut down on alcohol (an irritant) until the urethra has healed and your GUM clinic has given you the all clear.
• Make sure your partner(s) gets checked over - condoms won't necessarily protect you from re-infection.
• If NSU reappears, get it treated as soon as possible. If left untreated, it can lead to imflamed testicles and can affect your fertility. See our section on chlamydia for more information.

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