WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF BLOOD IN THE SEMEN?

Blood in the semen, also called hematospermia, usually does not last long, and it’s not uncommon for men to experience blood in their semen during their lifetime.

Patients with hematospermia are usually categorized into one of two groups;  The primary hematospermia group is where the patient’s only symptom is blood in the ejaculate.  This means that there is no blood in the urine and the patient has no symptoms of urinary irritation or infection.  Patients who may have this type of hematospermia with no other findings are essentially found to have no other problem. The condition is ‘self-limited’, which means it will go away in time without treatment.

Secondary hematospermia is when the cause of bleeding is known or suspected, such as immediately after a prostate biopsy, in the presence of a urinary or prostate infection, or cancer.  Unusual causes include tuberculosis, parasitic infections and any diseases that affect blood clotting such as hemophilia and chronic liver disease. Patients who have hematospermia  with symptoms of urinary infection or visual and/or microscopic blood in the urine require a complete urologic evaluation.

Most men with hematospermia are in their 30′s and the problem almost always resolves spontaneously, usually within several weeks.  Although blood in the semen may be associated with infection, it’s rarely secondary to malignancy.  Patients that have persistent hematospermia for longer than three weeks should undergo further urologic evaluation to identify the specific cause.

Blood found in a man’s semen can be a very frightening occurrence to any male, but in the end, most of these patients are found to have no abnormalities and require no therapy.  Hematospermia is prone to continue on and off, but it’s usually self-limited and carries no increased risk of any other disease, nor is the patient felt to be putting his sexual partner at risk.

Nevertheless, it’s recommended that you consult a doctor for cautionary reasons and keep an eye on your urine to make sure that there are no signs of blood.

Schedule an evaluation with a leading specialist today!  Dr. Bellman is a Board-Certified Urologist and is vastly knowledgeable in his field regarding Urological health matters.  His office can be reached at 818.912.1899