Symptoms in men

Male patients with sexually transmitted diseases often experience severe testicular pain and problems urinating. The genitals burn and itch here as well. In addition, the urine stream is usually somewhat weakened; despite the urge to urinate and attempt, urination is only done in droplets.

In addition, there are possible secretions of pus and secretions from the urethra. These are even characteristic for some infections (see below). The most common STD in Germany and Central Europe is infection with Chlamydia.

This initially manifests itself in a strong, usually purulent discharge in women as well as severe itching and burning.If not treated, the infection can spread to the upper sexual organs and the area around the liver. Fever and severe pain are then the result. Mucopurulent discharge also emerges from the urethra of the man.

Patients notice frequent urination and general symptoms of a venereal disease – as described above as an overview. If left untreated, the disease can also continue to rise in men, leading to infections of the intestines, testicles and epididymis. The incidence within the population, the so-called rate of infection, is relatively high.

The reason is that 70% of infected women and 30% of infected men do not notice any symptoms and therefore do not receive treatment. It is therefore possible that within certain age groups a large number of people (with rapidly changing intimate partners) become infected without a single one ever showing symptoms. Since the disease progresses asymptomatically in these patients, it is called a “silent” infection.

In addition to chlamydia, there is another bacterial disease that is also widespread: infection with gonococci (N. gonorhoeae) causes gonorrhea (also: gonorrhea). Even with this type of venereal disease, the identification is not always clear; affected women show symptoms in only about 50% of cases, which are then often so weak that they are not even perceived as noticeable. Classic signs are an outflow that can smell unpleasant and, under certain circumstances, a slight burning sensation when urinating.

There is rarely spotting and a slight fever. If left untreated, chronic lower abdominal pain and infertility can develop. Affected men are usually easier to diagnose: pain and burning sensation when urinating as well as a yellowish-greenish discharge from the urethra, which is sometimes constant and sometimes appears only as a single drop in the morning after getting up.

Nevertheless, there is also a risk of overlooking an infection in men. After a few days, the symptoms of gonorrhea disappear again even without treatment, which gives patients a false sense of security. Instead of healing, the infection can be expected to worsen at this time; inflammation of the prostate and/or testicles occurs.

The risk of infertility still exists. The most common STD in Germany and Central Europe is infection with Chlamydia. These initially manifest themselves as a strong, usually purulent discharge in women, as well as severe itching and burning.

If no treatment is administered, the infection can spread to the upper genital tract and the area around the liver. Fever and severe pain are then the result. Mucopurulent discharge also emerges from the urethra of the man.

Nevertheless, there is also a risk of overlooking an infection in men. After a few days, the symptoms of gonorrhea disappear again even without treatment, which gives patients a false sense of security.Instead of healing, the infection can be expected to worsen at this time; inflammation of the prostate and/or testicles occurs. The risk of infertility still exists.

Another common venereal disease that should not remain unmentioned for reasons of clarity is syphilis, which has become somewhat less common in the meantime. The disease, which is also known as syphilis, occurs intermittently, sometimes with long symptom-free intervals in between. Because syphilis is a chronic progressive disease without therapy, each interval is more symptomatic than the previous one.

At the beginning, small nodules appear at the site of infection (genitals, oral cavity, etc.). The resulting ulcer is painless, but reddened and very hard. It is highly contagious.

Even without treatment, this ulcer recedes after about one month. After a symptom-free phase, patients notice a kind of flu-like infection, which has nothing to do with the actual respiratory disease, and rashes on and in the whole body. Characteristic nodules and ulcers are visible, which are also highly contagious.

These rashes can remain for a very long time without therapy; only after about 2 years does spontaneous healing occur. After a renewed symptom-free interval, internal organs are then affected. Theoretically, there is the possibility of tumor formation everywhere, sometimes accompanied by severe pain and/or functional impairment of the organs.

Even if no treatment is given at this stage, the full picture of the disease is that of so-called neurosyphilis, which affects the nervous system. Affected patients become demented, show psychological abnormalities and walking disorders. Neurosyphilis can lead to the death of the patient.

Thanks to good therapy options and mostly early treatment, however, the course of the disease as described above is almost impossible to observe today. Among the venereal diseases not caused by bacteria, an infestation with genital herpes is the most frequently diagnosed. In this case it is the herpes simplex virus of type 2, which is closely related to type 1, which is known as the causative agent of lip herpes.

An infection manifests itself with painful blisters in the genital area, which may prickle or itch. These blisters usually heal spontaneously after a few weeks. Unlike other STDs, which can be completely cured under adequate therapy and only reappear when a new infection occurs, the herpes virus cannot be removed from the body with one hundred percent certainty.

After initial infection, the virus remains in the body and can recur at any time under certain favorable conditions (stress, weakened immune system, irritation or inflammation in the genital area). Even then, the rash is potentially infectious again. Finally, in this overview the infection with warts, more precisely with genital warts, should be mentioned.

The disease, which is caused by human papilloma viruses (HPV), presents itself – if it breaks out – as reddish-brownish nodules in the genital area, which rarely itch and burn. Normally, however, they do not cause any symptoms. Not in every case do these skin growths develop as a visible sign directly after an infection. The viruses can (similar to the herpes virus mentioned above) remain in the body for a long time without symptoms. Under these conditions, the visible disease only appears when the immune system is weakened or the skin in the genital area has already been damaged.