Why does it burn when I pee after sex?

Overview

Feeling pain or burning when you pee is known as dysuria. It’s a common symptom among people with a vagina, but it can also affect those with a penis – no matter how old or young you are.

Painful peeing is often a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI) – an infection in your bladder and/or the tube that carries pee from your bladder (urethra). But to answer the question: why does it burn when I pee after sex, it may be because the skin around your genitals has been irritated during intercourse. For example, your skin may have reacted to a lubricant or condom you used or your vagina may not have made enough natural lubrication (fluids), leading to sore skin that starts burning after sex.

But sometimes, painful peeing after sex may be a sign of a more serious condition that will need medical attention, like a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Why does it hurt to pee after sex?

When it hurts to pee after sex, the cause may be external – related to the skin around the opening of your urethra, or it may be internal – caused by a change inside your genitals, bladder, prostate (for people with a penis) or behind your pubic bone.

External causes include:

Problems with lubrication during sex

If your vagina doesn’t produce enough fluid to lubricate itself, sex may feel painful and leave you feeling sore afterward. This soreness then gets worse when pee passes over your irritated skin.

Having a

is a common problem that may be caused by:

• not being sexually aroused
• feeling anxious about sex or your relationship with your partner
• hormonal changes – for example, caused by the
  menopause
  , giving birth, breastfeeding or having your womb removed (a hysterectomy)
• taking medication, like contraceptive pills or
  antidepressants
  , or having cancer treatment, like
  chemotherapy
  , which also affects your hormone levels

Having sex that’s rough or goes on for a long time can also hurt the skin around your penis or vagina, causing pain when you pee.

Chemical or medicine sensitivity

If you use lubricants, latex condoms, or contraceptive foams or sponges, your skin may react to the chemicals in these products and get irritated – or even have an allergic reaction. Then when you pee, this inflamed tissue may burn even more.

There are also some medicines, including those used for chemotherapy or

, or to treat , that can cause swelling in your bladder, making it hurt when you pee.

Skin conditions or inflammation

The symptoms of some skin conditions that affect your vagina or penis can be triggered by sex, leading to pain when you pee after sex. These include:

• eczema
  , a group of skin conditions that irritate and dry out your skin
• lichen planus
  , which usually causes shiny, raised red or purple bumps on your skin
• balanitis
  – this pain or swelling (inflammation) around the penis has many causes, including friction from sex

Internal causes include:

UTIs

A

is the most common cause of burning when you pee after sex. This infection happens when bacteria get into your urinary tract through your urethra and travel up into your bladder – having sex makes this more likely.

UTIs can affect your bladder, kidneys and the tubes connected to them. If you have a penis, they can affect your prostate, testicles (balls) or the tube at the back of the testicles (epididymis). People with a vagina tend to get bladder and kidney infections more often than those with a penis.

STIs

If you’re finding it painful to pee after sex, this may be a symptom of an STI. These are infections that you can get or pass on through unprotected sex (sex without a condom) or genital contact.

These STIs include:

• chlamydia
• genital herpes
• gonorrhoea
• trichomoniasis – in some cases, you won’t get any symptoms from this STI, which is caused by a parasite, but people with a vagina or penis may get burning or pain when peeing, or discharge from their genitals

to appear depends on the type of STI you have. Some STIs cause obvious symptoms, while others don’t cause any symptoms.

Genital infections or conditions

Common infections that may affect your vagina or penis can flare up during sex, causing painful peeing after sex. These genital conditions include:

• thrush (candidiasis) – a usually harmless yeast infection. Read more about
  thrush in women
  and
  thrush in men
• vaginitis – inflammation of your vagina that’s caused by many things, including thrush, STIs, hormonal changes from the menopause, breastfeeding or some kinds of
  contraceptives

Prostate infection or inflammation (prostatitis)

is inflammation of the prostate gland (a small gland that produces fluid to mix with sperm to make semen). This swelling is usually due to a bacterial infection, but sometimes the cause isn’t clear. It can cause a lot of pain in your penis, testicles, bottom, lower tummy and lower back and when you pee.

When to see a doctor

A burning sensation after sex when you pee isn’t usually a symptom of something serious. If it happens once or if you figure out an obvious cause, such as a condom allergy irritating your skin, you can usually manage your symptoms with self-care. But sometimes, pain when you pee can suggest that you have a condition that needs medical attention, especially if you also have other symptoms.

Go to an emergency department or call an ambulance if it hurts to pee, and you:

• have a very high or low temperature, feel confused or drowsy or have any other signs of
  sepsis
• haven’t peed all day, have pain in your back or lower tummy, or have blood in your pee

You should also see a doctor as soon as possible if it burns when you pee, and:

• your symptoms get worse, don’t get better within 2 days, or come back or don’t get better after treatment
• you have symptoms of thrush for the first time
• you have symptoms of a UTI for the first time, including peeing more often than usual and cloudy pee
• you’ve had unprotected sex with a new partner, or you or your partner have
  symptoms of an STI
• you feel pain inside you when you have sex
• you’re pregnant
• if you have symptoms of prostatitis, including pelvic pain or painful ejaculation
• you’re taking a medicine and are worried about its side effects

What's the treatment?

Simple self-care measures at home can help ease and prevent the burning or irritation of the skin on your penis and vagina after sex when you go to the rest room. This includes practising good hygiene – read more about

and .

But sometimes, the cause may be more serious and you may need to see a doctor for more specific treatment.

Problems with lubrication during sex

Having more foreplay before sex can encourage your vagina to produce enough lubrication, making sex more comfortable and less likely to irritate your genitals. Also, try using water-based lubricants (in and around your vagina and penis) or vaginal moisturisers. Read more about the

.

If home remedies aren’t working or your vaginal dryness is due to changes in your hormone levels, speak to a doctor.

is a common treatment option if you’re going through the menopause.

Chemical or medicine sensitivity

If you think you’re sensitive or allergic to a lubricant, contraceptive foams or sponges, or latex condoms, try a different type or speak to a pharmacist about alternative options.

And if you think a medication you’re taking is the cause of your symptoms, don’t stop taking your medication. Instead, speak to a doctor who will be able to check if this is the cause and decide if it’s safe for you to stop taking the medication or switch to a different type.

Skin conditions or inflammation

When it comes to treating balanitis, keeping your penis and foreskin clean and dry to prevent infection is key. If the pain and swelling don’t go away, see a doctor – treatment may include antifungal medicines, steroid creams or antibiotics. Find out about the

.

Treatment for eczema depends on whether it’s mild or serious, and a doctor may recommend moisturising or

, antihistamines and antibiotics. Find out more about .

It’s best to get advice from a doctor if you think you have lichen planus. Sometimes you may not need to treat it if it’s mild, but when it’s more serious, treatments may include steroid creams and tablets, and antihistamines. Read more about your

.

UTIs

Mild UTIs usually clear up on their own within a few days, but it’s still worth seeing a doctor if you think you have this infection, as they can give you self-care advice or antibiotics if you need them. Go back to a doctor if your symptoms don’t improve, get worse or come back after treatment.

Some self-care measures include:

• taking simple
  painkillers
  – speak to your pharmacist or doctor for advice on how to safely get and use these medicines
• drinking plenty of fluids – but avoid coffee, alcohol and acidic drinks like fruit juice, as they can make your symptoms worse
• avoiding sex until you feel better

Read more about

.

STIs

If you’re worried you have an STI, go to a sexual health clinic or doctor as soon as possible. Many STIs can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but you should get any symptoms checked.

You’ll need to avoid having sex, including oral sex, until a doctor says it’s safe to do so – this is to avoid passing the STI on to someone else.

Genital herpes is an STI that doesn't have a cure. Its symptoms usually clear up by themselves, but the blisters can come back and should be treated with medicines. Use a condom whenever you have vaginal, anal or oral sex, but keep in mind that herpes can still be spread if it doesn’t cover the infected area.

Read more about

.

Genital infections or conditions

, like creams and tablets, usually get rid of thrush. Speak to a pharmacist about the best antifungal treatment if you’ve had thrush before and know the symptoms. But, if it’s the first time you’ve had thrush, or the symptoms don’t go away after treatment or keep coming back, or you have a weakened immune system because you have diabetes, for example, see a doctor as a longer course of medicine or different treatment medicine may be needed.

If you have vaginitis for the first time, or it keeps coming back or gets worse, see a doctor to get to the bottom of the cause. Treatment could include:

• medication like antibiotics, antifungal medicine or steroid creams
• vaginal moisturisers, lubricants or HRT if you’re going through the menopause

Prostatitis

If you have symptoms of prostatitis, see a doctor. Your treatment options will depend on whether you have acute (sudden and new) or chronic (ongoing) prostatitis. For acute prostatitis, treatment may include painkillers, antibiotics and hospital treatment if you’re very ill.

For chronic prostatitis, treatment may include:

• painkillers
• medication to relax the muscles in your prostate gland and bladder
• laxatives
  , if it hurts when you poo

When will pain peeing after sex go away?

Often, this burning pee after sex sensation will get better with simple changes, like switching the kind of condoms or lubrication you use, or looking after sore genitals with good hygiene.

But if a medical condition is at the root of your pain, you’ll usually need to get treated or manage the condition to help relieve any pain you have. How long this will take typically depends on the cause of your problem and if the treatment a doctor gives you works or not.

Key takeaways

• there are many possible reasons why it burns or hurts to pee after sex, like a lack of lubrication during sex, but sometimes, it’s a sign of a condition that needs medical attention
• common causes of painful peeing after sex include UTIs and STIs
• there are some simple things you can do at home to help prevent and ease the burning or irritation of the skin on your penis and vagina, including practising good hygiene
• if you have a UTI, you may need to take simple painkillers or use antibiotics, if your infection is very bad
• you can treat many STIs with antibiotics and protect yourself from them by following safer sex rules, like using condoms