#retrograde ejaculation

When penis function is fine, a man’s sex life is so much easier. Every guy wants his penis function to always hum along smoothly like a well-tended motor. But occasionally there can be a few penis health hiccups along the way, a few things that may impede proper function. One of the more unusual such penis function issues is known as retrograde ejaculation.

What is retrograde ejaculation?

Most men are already familiar with the term (and the experience of) ejaculation – that is, the expulsion of semen (usually in a rather forceful and pleasurable manner) from the penis through the urethra. But what is this retrograde business?

Well, retrograde is defined as “directed or moving backward,” which is kind of what happens with retrograde ejaculation – the ejaculation is directed to move backward out of the penis, rather than upward out of the shaft of the penis. This means that the penis evacuates most or all of the semen into the bladder instead.

When a man has retrograde ejaculation, he still experiences orgasm, often as strong and intense as that associated with a traditional penile ejaculation. This is often referred to as a dry orgasm. Often, because the semen is re-routed into the bladder, a man may notice that his urine is cloudy, especially soon after an ejaculation.

What causes it?

Why would such a thing as retrograde ejaculation happen in the first place?

Various components of semen are mixed together in the prostate before expulsion. When it leaves the prostate to get into the urethra, it passes by the opening to the bladder. There is a muscle – the bladder neck muscle – that closes tightly to prevent semen from escaping into the bladder. If the bladder neck muscle is weakened or damaged, it may not close completely – or at all. (When a man really needs to urinate but is not in a position where he can do that, it’s the bladder neck muscle that squeezes shut to keep urine in the bladder until a more appropriate time for release.)

Generally, a weakening of this muscle is a result of surgery or a side effect of certain medications. In some cases, medical conditions that cause nerve damage (such as diabetes, Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis) may interfere with the muscle’s proper function.

Penis function

As noted, most men still experience satisfying orgasms with retrograde ejaculation. However, if the semen is going into the bladder rather than being released through the penis, it can create serious issues for couples wishing to conceive.

Men who experience dry orgasms and are interested in becoming fathers should consult with a physician to determine if retrograde ejaculations are the issue; there may be other semen production problems at play instead.

If retrograde ejaculation is the issue, the doctor will try to determine the cause. If it is likely a side effect of a medication, switching medications may be all that is required. In some cases, it may be treated with other medications. And in some cases, especially those in which surgery has resulted in the condition, there may be little that can be done to correct the problem.

Although ejaculation can be a bit messy, most men are happy to experience a clean-up issue in order to enjoy the orgasmic feeling that typically accompanies the release of semen. For some men, however, there may not be a lot of mess to clean up. When this is because he is having an ejaculation fast upon the heels of another, it’s not a penis health concern. But sometimes it does fall into the realm of penis problems; for example, when little semen is spurting forth due to retrograde ejaculation. 

Retrograde ejaculation 

When men begin to masturbate, many often become slightly obsessed with seeing how far they can “shoot” their semen. They also may like to mentally keep track of the quantity of semen they produce as well. It’s all part of being a guy. 

But when a man has retrograde ejaculation, he finds himself in a position where his quantity (and often his trajectory) has been seriously impacted. That’s by no means to say that he doesn’t still experience orgasm; he does, usually to the same degree he would if he were releasing the typical volume of semen. But while the sensation is still there, the semen isn’t.

What happens to it? 

How it works 

Inside a man, there’s something called the internal sphincter. This is located between the prostate and the bladder. When a man is getting ready to ejaculate, this sphincter closes very tightly, so semen will travel out through the urethra rather than falling back into the bladder. Men are too preoccupied with everything else going on at this point to be aware of this process. 

But in some cases, the smooth muscle of the penis doesn’t relax or doesn’t relax fully, and this can prevent the sphincter from doing its job; it may remain partially or fully open, and this will drain a substantial amount of the semen into the bladder. (It is rare for 100% of the semen to fall back into the bladder, but it can happen.) 

Typically, the semen will be dispersed with the urine over the next few eliminations. 

Causes 

Most often, retrograde ejaculation is a side effect of diabetes, prostate surgery or some prostate medications – and in such cases, many men don’t bother with treatment for the semen-related issue. But it can be the result of something more serious, such as a blockage in the urethra or nerve damage.  That requires treatment to avoid a bigger problem. 

As penis problems go, retrograde ejaculation is usually not major (unless the underlying cause needs treatment). Since men still experience orgasm, it does not usually interfere with their sex lives. However, some men do have a psychological reaction to the fact that they do not shoot forth a fountain as in days gone by, and this can lead to feelings of stress or depression in some men.

What about pregnancy? Well, if only a small amount of semen is coming out of the penis, this can make pregnancy difficult (although not impossible – so a man shouldn’t count on retrograde ejaculation as a form of birth control).  In many cases, men with significant retrograde ejaculation who wish to become fathers will need to have sperm harvested from the bladder or testes and then inserted via artificial insemination. 

When a man is in the midst of a sexual encounter, whether with a partner or solo, he expects things to go a certain way. But what happens when he gets a surprise and things certainly do not go as he thought they would? That’s the case with retrograde ejaculation, a condition where a man has the sensation of an orgasm but doesn’t actually ejaculate. It can immediately make a man wonder about his penis health, and even make him worry that his typical penis care isn’t sufficient. 

Retrograde ejaculation is a rather uncommon condition, but when it does happen, it tends to appear out of the blue. That’s why it’s so important for every man to know what it is, what it means for penis health, and what to do if it happens to him. 

Understanding retrograde ejaculation 

A man with retrograde ejaculation will usually have the same sexual sensations and experiences as any other guy, with only one big difference – he will not have the satisfaction of spilling semen when he finishes with his sexual escapade. Though the sensation might not feel any different, many men enjoy knowing that they have produced something as a result of their efforts. To not see that might make a man wonder what’s wrong. 

With retrograde ejaculation, the body does produce semen – but it flows down the wrong way. It actually winds up flowing down the urethra and into the bladder. This doesn’t hurt at all, and so men who are in the midst of coupling when it happens might not notice the issue at first. But eventually, when they are taking matters into their own hands or finishing somewhere other than inside their partner, they will notice the problem. 

Retrograde ejaculation usually happens for those who have an underlying medication condition, such as prostate issues or diabetes. Some men who take certain medications might suffer from it as well, such as those on antidepressants. 

For those who are in excellent health, retrograde ejaculation can happen when there is some pressure placed on the base of the penis during play, such as a penis ring or even the firm pressure of a thumb. This ‘reroutes’ the semen to go into another pathway. 

But what about penis health?

The good news is that retrograde ejaculation rarely indicates a problem with penis health. A man might notice cloudy urine after his sexual encounter, thanks to semen now being in the bladder, but this won’t hurt anything. The biggest issue lies in infertility. If a man intends to get a partner pregnant, he will want to get treatment for retrograde ejaculation as soon as possible. And of course, some men might have a strong emotional response when faced with this issue – if that’s the case, it might be worth going for treatment in order to alleviate the worry and continue with a satisfying sex life.