Understanding Retrograde ejaculation: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Retrograde ejaculation

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Retrograde ejaculation occurs when semen enters the bladder instead of emerging through the penis during orgasm. Although you still reach sexual climax, you might ejaculate very little or no semen. This is sometimes called a dry orgasm.

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Learn from others who are experiencing Retrograde ejaculation.

Signs & symptoms

Retrograde ejaculation doesn't affect the ability to get an erection or have an orgasm- but when you climax, semen goes into your bladder instead of coming out of your penis. Retrograde ejaculation signs and symptoms include: * Orgasms in which you ejaculate very little or no semen out of your penis (dry orgasms) * Urine that is cloudy after orgasm because it contains semen * Inability to get a woman pregnant (male infertility)

Diagnosis

To diagnose retrograde ejaculation, your doctor may: * Ask questions about your symptoms and how long you've had them. Your doctor might also ask about any health problems, surgeries or cancers you've had and what medications you take. * Do a physical exam, which will likely include an exam of your penis, testicles and rectum. * Examine your urine for the presence of semen after you have an orgasm. This procedure is usually done at the doctor's office. Your doctor will ask you to empty your bladder, masturbate to climax and then provide a urine sample for laboratory analysis. If a high volume of sperm is found in your urine, you have retrograde ejaculation. If you have dry orgasms, but your doctor doesn't find semen in your bladder, you might have a problem with semen production. This can be caused by damage to the prostate or semen-producing glands as a result of surgery or radiation treatment for cancer in the pelvic area. If your doctor suspects your dry orgasm is something other than retrograde ejaculation, you might need further tests or a referral to a specialist to find the cause.

Treatment

Retrograde ejaculation typically doesn't require treatment unless it interferes with fertility. In such cases, treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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