Live Life Team
Treatment
Antibiotics
Non specific urethritis or NSU infection can be treated with antibiotics, even though test result are not determined. Antibiotics can be discontinued if NSU is not caused due to bacteria. Two doses – daily twice of antibiotics tablets for a week are recommended to most of NSU patients. After completion of dose you need to go to the clinic to check if the infection has gone. Combinations of antibiotics are also given in case NSU returns. Until it is confirmed that the infection is completely gone, you are not supposed to have sex in this course. Also during the course of antibiotics, the same applies.
Non-specific urethritis should be regarded as a STI
NSU can be passed on to your partner during sex, hence it can be treated as STI. However not all cases of NSU are due to STI. Necessary precautions need to be taken like restraining from any sexual contact unless tests are confirmed that the infection has been cured. You are advised to inform your sexual partner about your NSU condition as they too will need to be tested.
Symtoms in women are not noticeable, that doesn’t mean that women are safe. Pelvic inflammatory disease is caused by bacteria of NSU.
Informing your partner and former partners about STIs
NSU symptoms starts at four weeks after the first infection. Once it is certain that NSU is caused by STI like chlamydia, you need to make sure you inform your sexual partners you have has sex with in the past month. It is equally important for them to get it tested and treated.
People are not always comfortable discussing STI’s with any one. They can get upset or angry. You can discuss it with the staff at genitor-urinary medicine clinic. They will advise you on what should be done. This is strongly recommended that you tell your partners. In case it is untested or untreated this STI bacteria, chlamydia, can cause serious problems especially to women.
Complications of untreated chlamydia include:
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
infection of the cervix (in women),
infection of the testicles (in men),
infertility
Complication:
Reiter’s syndrome
This is caused by the immune system. The immune system attacks the healthy tissue instead the bacteria of NSU. This results in conjunctivitis, joint pain and symptoms of urethritis. Reiter syndrome also called as reactive arthritis and is very rare as about 1% cases of NSU will develop it.
Prevention
Safe sex
Maximum cases of NSU are caused by STI. You are recommended to use condoms whenever you indulge yourself in sexual intercourse. This applies to anal or oral sex.
K-Y jelly is lubricant which is water based should be used instead of Vaseline during sex. As Vaseline make the condom weak and chances of it to split are very high. You should keep the sex toys clean after every use. To prevent spread of NSU infection through oral sex dental dam can be used.
References
Family Planning Association (2008). Non-specific urethritis – Looking after your sexual health
CKS (2006). Urethritis – male – management
Cassell, J.A. et al (2006). Trends in sexually transmitted infections in general practice 1990-2000: population based study using data from the UK general practice research database. BMJ 2006;332:332-334, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38726.404120.7C
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (2007). 2007 National Guideline on the Management of Non-gonococcal Urethrit
