Painful Ejaculation

Making love with your partner is a pleasure act but for some men it is painful. About 10 percent of males suffer from pain during and after ejaculation that leads to fear, frustration and relationship issues.

The foremost step to deal with painful ejaculation is to find the underlying cause so that proper treatment can resolve it.

What Is Painful Ejaculation?

Pain during or immediately after ejaculation may be defined as painful ejaculation. Some men with this condition are affected only when they masturbate and others only when they have sex with their partner. But there are also men who experience painful ejaculation during both the acts.

What Are The Symptoms Of Painful Ejaculation?

The symptoms of painful ejaculation differs from men to men and also may change over the time. The pain may be mild to severe and may last from a few minutes to 24 hours after the act. The patient may also experience pain on passing urine immediately after ejaculation. Other notable symptoms include pain around or in the bladder, penis or rectum.

Painful ejaculation is not something you should be ashamed of. It is a common condition affecting men and mostly have an underlying cause that need to be diagnosed and treated.

What Causes Painful Ejaculation

Below is the list of conditions that cause painful ejaculation:

1. Prostatitis– Prostatitis is swelling and inflammation of the prostate that may be caused due to prostate infection, UTI, trauma or nerve damage. Men who suffer from diabetes are more at the risk of nerve damage. The risk factors for prostatitis include diabetes, weak immune system, rectal intercourse and use of urinary catheter.
2. Benign prostate Hyperplasia– Benign prostate hyperplasia or prostate gland enlargement is a condition that mostly affects old men. Enlarged prostate leads to uncomfortable urinary symptoms and also in some men it causes painful ejaculation.
3. Other prostate issues– Other prostate disorders such as prostate cancer or if you have undergone prostate surgery may also lead to painful ejaculation.
4. Certain Medication– Antidepressants that belong to class of tricyclics, reuptake inhibitors, MAOIs or venlafaxine are often associated with pain during and after ejaculation. So if you are taking such medications, consult your doctor to make a change in medication.
5. Sexually Transmitted Disease- Chlamydia and trichomoniasis are two sexually transmitted infections that are associated with painful ejaculation. They are also easily diagnosed with a routine STD testing and best of all, are completely curable.
6. Seminal Vesicle Problems- Calculi or deposits formed  in the seminal vesicle causes problems with semen ejaculation and pain.
7. Nervous System Disorder– Diabetes may cause nerve damage. Also, men with spinal cord damage and back injuries may have pain during or after ejaculation.
8. Radiation Therapy– Radiation therapy to the pelvis may cause temperory erectile dysfunction and pain during or after ejaculation.
9. Pudendal Neuropathy-Pudendal neuropathy is damage to the nerve in the pelvis. This condition causes genital and rectal pain.
10. Relationship Issues– If a man suffers from painful ejaculation after having sex with his partner and not after masturbation, it is more likely that there is a relationship issue. Other mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or tension may also have a negative impact on sexual performance.
11. Mercury Exposure- Although rare, but exposure to mercury on consuming contaminated fish may lead to pain during and after ejaculation.

Treatment Of Painful Ejaculation

The treatment of pain during and after ejaculation depends on the underlying cause. To manage the pain, pain medication is given. Oral antibiotics are prescribed to treat infections. If the cause is stone or cyst, surgery is done to remove the blockage. Underlying diseases such as MS and diabetes is addressed. If painful ejaculation is due to side effect of surgery, then in most of the cases the condition improves slowly. If you think your condition is a cause of anti-depressants consult your doctor for an alternative drug or to adjust the doses but do not stop the medications without the supervision of the doctor.

There are some cases of pain during or after ejaculation where the cause remains undiagnosed and in such case, psychotherapy is given to the patient to manage the condition.

Sexual issues may hamper your self esteem as well as your relationship with your partner. But it is not something you should be embarrassed off and remain silent. Talk about it with your partner and seek medical assistance.