Q: Hi Doctor, I have a friend that whenever he presses his bladder, sperm will start flowing out. What does that mean? And how can we control it

A: What has been described above sounds like retrograde ejaculation (RE), that is backward ejaculation. Usually, during ejaculation, the muscle at the neck of the bladder tightens ensuring that semen does not enter the bladder. In people with this problem, this muscle does not tighten enough to prevent backtrack of the semen into the bladder. So, in these people, their ejaculate during intercourse is usually very little (sometimes almost non-existent, even though they certainly know they have had an orgasm) or their urine after sexual intercourse cloudy as a result of the sperm going into the bladder and mixing with urine.

Retrograde ejaculation does not interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy sexual intercourse, have and maintain an erection or even climax. Usually, these people would show up in the clinic because of infertility.

Does your friend have these issues?

RE can start after a surgery on the bladder or prostate; it can occur as a side effect of some anti-hypertensive drugs (drugs used to treat hypertension), or as a complication of some medical conditions like Diabetes Mellitus. A few people are actually born with a weakness of this muscle that closes the neck of the bladder during ejaculation.

If RE is caused by medications, your doctor may consider changing them or stopping them for a while. Otherwise, there are some drugs used to ensure the neck of the bladder is closed during ejaculation. Your doctor will weigh their side effects against their potential benefits in deciding whether to prescribe them to you or not. For those who desire babies, your doctor will also discuss options of ‘harvesting’ sperm to be used on your spouse.

Have a good evening, people. I hope y’all had a great day 😀