Being on the receiving end of some well-orchestrated oral sex is a dream for just about every man, and why not? He gets maximum pleasure from minimum (as in, zero) effort. And for guys who are concerned about penis health, oral sex tends to be much safer than vaginal sex. But a guy might still develop penis pain afterward, and if he does it may be a reminder that there are risks of spreading infection from oral sex. For example, the source of that penis pain could be urethritis.

Urethritis

What is urethritis? Simply put, it just means that the urethra – the tube that connects the bladder to the penis and the serves as the “escape valve” for urine – has developed an inflammation. Most cases of urethritis are caused by bacteria; in some cases they come about due to sexual activity. In such cases, they are considered an STI – and such would be the case if a man contracted urethritis from a partner giving him oral sex.

In some cases, a guy can have urethritis with no symptoms. More frequently, however, a guy experiences any of a number of symptoms, including:

– A discharge (often yellow to brown, and sometimes accompanied by blood) while urinating;

– A burning sensation when urinating, most often centralized near the tip of the penis;

– Itchiness in the penis (more so than usual);

– Heaviness in the balls.

Often the discomfort from urination can produce penis pain that is significant and intense.

Oral sex connection

As mentioned, bacteria are the cause of urethritis. Until 2006, oral sex was not considered a viable method of urethritis transmission, but an article in the Journal of Infectious Diseases changed that. This article was based on a study of 636 men. Out of those 636, 307 of them did not have urethritis; 329 did, and it was determined that the urethritis was not related to gonorrhea (a common co-morbidity).

The doctors then looked into the differences between the two. They found that some of the men with urethritis had contracted it from oral sex – and that it developed from bacteria that are fairly commonly found in the mouth but that are not as commonly associated with urethritis.

Interestingly, it does not seem to be the case that bacteria passed on during cunnilingus causes urethritis in women, although the reasons for this are unclear.

Prevention

Since the bacteria involved are common ones not associated with sexual activity, it’s difficult to determine how to prevent transmission (other than through oral sex abstinence, of course). Wearing a condom when receiving oral sex is one way, however.

In the absence of preventive measures, men may just need to be more aware of the risk of contracting urethritis from oral sex and undergo frequent testing – and definitely get tested if they experience penis pain at any time after receiving oral sex. (It may take some days for the inflammation to make itself felt.)

Oral sex can result in some penis pain for reasons other than urethritis, of course. If there is too much “tooth action” or if the penis becomes sore from overuse, soothing relief may be obtained from application of a first level penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). Penis skin often feels raw after lengthy or aggressive sex, so using a crème with a combination of moisturizing superstars (think Shea butter and vitamin E) can provide the rehydration that the skin desires. It also helps if the crème contains alpha lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant that battles the free radicals that cause oxidative stress to sensitive penis cells. And a crème that contains a range of vitamins (A, B5, C, and D) is well positioned to boost overall penis health.