Urethritis: Clinical manifestations and inter-relationship with intercourse and therapy

Abstract

Acute bacterial cystitis in women is a common and easily treatable disease. The high concentrations of antibiotics obtainable in urine allow prompt eradication of bacitluria with even short courses of treatment. A small percentage of women, however, will remain symptomatic after eradication of bacilluria and will often fail to respond to further anti-bacterial treatment. While it is generally felt that these women suffer from urethritis, there is less general agreement regarding the pathogenesis and treatment of this entity. Treatment modalities have ranged from such conservative measures as urethral dilatation and intermittent antibiotics to surgical meatal and urethral reconstructive procedures.1 Despite this lack of agreement, however, the fact that urethritis is often related to sexual activity remains a prominent feature of this disease. Therefore its effects on female sexual function, as well as the role of sexual activity in its pathogenesis, are important. These relationships will be explored in somewhat more detail in the following presentation.