Penis Function Issue: About 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.

Retrograde ejaculation is an extreme penis function issue; often helping maintain proper penis health can be useful with some penis function issues. To this end, use a top-drawer penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) regularly. The best crèmes will contain both L-arginine and L-carnitine. The former is an amino acid that helps keep penile blood vessels expanding properly by boosting nitric oxide production. The latter helps fight nerve damage caused by friction and compression, which can result in diminished sensation in the penis.