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Retrograde Ejaculation: When Everything “Cums” Out Wrong

I think I speak for most men when I say that we generally take ejaculation for granted. It’s as natural and inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Until it isn’t. If you’ve never had any problems with ejaculation, the thought of semen “cumming” out the wrong way has probably never entered your mind. However, ejaculatory problems do exist, and in this post, we’re going to talk about one in particular – retrograde ejaculation or RE. RE happens when part or all of your ejaculate fluid is expelled backward into the bladder instead of forward and out the tip of the penis. This usually occurs because the bladder’s internal sphincter fails to close completely, which can lead to a backflow of semen into the bladder during ejaculation. If this is all news to you, RE may seem nothing short of a horror show, but in reality, RE rarely causes pain, and it’s generally not considered dangerous at all. Because RE involves the bladder, many symptoms are apparent during urination. One telltale sign of RE is whitish urine after sex. Dry orgasms (orgasms without semen) or orgasms with low semen volume could be a sign of RE as well. Infertility can also be a tip-off since there isn’t enough semen ejaculated to carry sperm to its final destination. RE isn’t particularly common, but it has been reported in .3% to 2% of patients who attend fertility clinics, a setting where many ejaculatory disorders are studied. Let’s take a look at some of the causes of RE and treatments that have been known to help.

References:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/retrograde-ejaculation/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354896#:~:text=Drugs%20that%20can%20cause%20retrograde,Imipramine%2C%20an%20antidepressant

https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/retrograde-ejaculation

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/transurethral-resection-of-the-prostate-turp/#:~:text=A%20transurethral%20resection%20of%20the,the%20bladder%20to%20the%20penis

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/retrograde-ejaculation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354890

https://www.forhims.com/blog/retrograde-ejaculation-causes-treatments#:~:text=Some%20medications%20used%20to%20treat,)%2C%20may%20cause%20retrograde%20ejaculation