Diseases and Conditions

Retrograde ejaculation

Diagnosis

Your doctor will:

  • 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.

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