Hematospermia
In the medical field, the term “hematospermia” (or hemospermia) indicates a pseudo-pathological condition characterized by the presence of blood in the sperm, which occurred during or immediately after ejaculation, often painful.
Although it represents a highly alarming clinical sign for the affected patient, in the vast majority of cases, the blood in the sperm, clinically, does not raise particular concerns: hematospermia is in fact considered a benign and self-limited condition. In any case, the doctor's opinion it is fundamental in order to exclude any hidden pathologies and clarify any doubts.
Incidence
There are many patients who, at least once in the course of their lives, have observed traces of blood in the sperm: most of the time, the target of the apparently pathological condition is young people, especially those with a sexually active and promiscuous life. Conversely, other sources report that prolonged sexual abstinence could also represent a risk factor for haematospermia.
Only rarely, adults and the elderly complain of episodes of hematospermia linked to an "intensity and a certain frequency of sexual intercourse: in similar situations, often, the cause of blood in the sperm lies in more serious problems, which will be examined in the next paragraph.
Clearly, the occasional nature of the condition should not worry too much, but when haematospermia becomes a frequent phenomenon a medical examination is absolutely inevitable.
It is observed that haematospermia is a recurring situation in approximately 2% of urological problems.
Non-pathological causes
It is necessary to distinguish two conditions directly related to "hematospermia:
- Blood in semen as a non-pathological condition
We analyzed that, more often than not, blood in semen is not linked to pathological conditions, particularly when it affects young people with a particularly active sex life or, vice versa, in the case of prolonged sexual abstinence. In such situations, hematospermia could be the simple indicator of a slight malfunction of the male genital system. It is a condition that can be easily solved autonomously: if the patient, clinically healthy, observes more phenomena of haematospermia, the doctor usually prescribes a targeted pharmacological treatment.
Although it is a non-pathological phenomenon, the doctor's opinion is always binding, even when it is an occasional event.
Pathological causes
- Blood in the semen as a sign of more serious diseases
The presence of blood in the sperm as a pathological condition can be traced back, above all, to urethritis (non-specific inflammation of the urethra), prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) or, again, to vesiculo-deferentitis (inflammation of the seminal vesicles). Hematospermia occurs in conjunction with specific infections (in particular caused by cytomegalovirus, from flatworms of the genus Schistosoma and from Chlamydia or Trichomonas, sexually transmitted), hemorrhagic cystitis and blood diseases (coagulopathies). Some cases of blood in sperm have been observed in patients who have recently undergone prostate biopsy or invasive maneuvers involving the genitourinary system in general.
In other subjects, hematospermia is caused by stones in the kidney, bladder and ureter: in similar situations, in addition to having blood in the sperm, the patient often complains of severe pain and colic.
In rare cases, blood in semen is a glowing sign of prostate cancer.
Some cases of haematospermia have been observed in patients with hypertension, amyloidosis and liver disease.
Finally, some sources report cases of blood in the semen as a side effect of the administration of pharmacological specialties, such as anticoagulants / antiplatelet agents.
Other articles on "Blood in sperm"
- angue in semen: classification, diagnosis, therapies
- Blood in sperm in brief - Hematospermia Summary table
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