Retrograde ejaculation, what is it?

In what is called “retrograde ejaculation,” the sensations remain intact. Sperm, on the other hand, actually take an unexpected route: instead of going to the urethra, they go to the bladder and thus out…

It is due to the opening of the bladder neck, the narrow part of the bladder that communicates with the urethra, and urine flows out when the sphincter relaxes. This can occur after surgical treatment of prostatic hypertrophy, which is likely to cause “anatomical and mechanical changes that result in the majority of cases in the absence of sperm excretion during ejaculation”, reports Saint-Louis Hospital (AP-HP). The sperm then follow a so-called ‘retrograde’ path and end up in the bladder. And because it is not emptied through the urethra, it is then “secondarily excreted in the urine during urination”.

Sperm in urine…

In addition to this side effect of intervention, premature ejaculation can also be linked to “dysfunction”, as published by the National Academy of Medicine, which cites “diabetic neuropathy” or “lumbar sympathetic nerve damage”. The academy goes on to state that “the diagnosis is usually made when sperm are detected in the urine after masturbation or sexual intercourse.”

Treatment-wise, since premature ejaculation is not harmful, it usually does not require intervention unless it interferes with fertility. In this case, treatment depends on the underlying cause.