Ejaculation backwards (retrograde ejaculation)

If your semen goes backwards into your bladder at orgasm, instead of shooting out of the hole at the end of the penis, you have ‘retrograde ejaculation’. Men with retrograde ejaculation have orgasm and feel the sensation of having ejaculated, but little or no fluid emerges from the penis. If they urinate after having sex, the urine is often cloudy because it contains semen.

Normally, the muscle around the exit hole of the bladder closes tightly at orgasm to prevent this happening. If the muscle or its nerves are damaged, retrograde ejaculation may occur.

Retrograde ejaculation often occurs after prostate surgery or surgery of the bladder itself. A few people are born with a weakness of the muscle that closes the bladder. Retrograde ejaculation can also occur in people who have had diabetes for many years. Sometimes medications can be responsible, such as prazosin (for blood pressure) and terazosin (for blood pressure or enlarged prostate).

Retrograde ejaculation after a prostate operation is to be expected, and your surgeon will have mentioned the possibility to you beforehand. If this is not the reason in your case, you need to see a urologist to find out the cause. In some cases medications such as ephedrine may help.

To father a child, a man with retrograde ejaculation will probably need help from a fertility clinic. The clinic will be able to remove sperm from urine passed after ejaculating.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Saturday, February 13th 2010

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Comments on this article

Posted by Deedar on 17/06/2010 at 12:11:11 pm

I am a 56yo male (duh) had holimium laser vaporization turp 3 months ago (April 2010). The procedure was pretty quick, easy -and relatively non-traumatic - with no recovery problems. My issue now is retrograde ejaculation which I absolutely despise. If you want to ever ejaculate normally again, DO NOT have this procedure. I would rather never sleep more than 10 minutes a night than to ejaculate into myself. Think long and hard about this before you have the procedure - you might regret it - I do!

Posted by Optional on 18/04/2010 at 10:50:29 am

I leak for about an hour after ejaculation. It is embarrasing.

Posted by Anonymous on 10/01/2010 at 03:47:00 pm

My wife and I are trying to start a family and will have to undergo IVF/ICSI due to the fact that I have Klinefelter's syndrome. In preparation for this procedure, I have been taken off my Androgel (testosterone)for 9 months and now am having dry orgasms. This was never a problem before stopping my hormones. Could this lack of testosterone be the reason for no ejaculate or is something else going on? I am supposed to have a semen analysis done before the procedure but I don't see how that will be possible with no ejaculate.

Posted by dequincy on 09/01/2010 at 07:46:00 pm

i am haveing problems type 2 diabectic errection very infrequent also dry no sperm ejecting until penis shrinks then comes out ,what can be done about this please what advise can you offer diabetis well controlled

Posted by Tony on 01/12/2009 at 09:47:00 am

When I was in my teens and up to about my late 30`s, I was able to ejaculate normally. But as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to urinate immediately after sex or masturbation, and in lots of cases, urinated several times within half an an hour. Over the years after reaching 40, Ive noticed a decline in my ejaculation volume, I can feel myself cumming normally, but very little is coming out, and the same thing happens afterwards, I want to urinate. I would really like to put this right if I can.

Posted by Anonymous on 22/08/2009 at 08:28:00 pm

Hi, I am a 26 yr old male. My question is regarding ejaculation. 3 weeks before when I used to masturbate, the quantity of sperm that used to ejaculate was significantly higher than it has been for the last 3 weeks. Since the last 3 weeks, I am feeling the climax during ejaculation but I feel the entire sperm is not coming out or shooting out. Only half-teaspoon or less is coming out. I masturbate daily once. Also I am getting hard normally but this feeling of sperm not coming out is giving me quite sleepless nights. I had undergone colonoscopy 3 weeks back. Please let me know the possible cause for this.

Posted by James on 10/05/2009 at 01:27:00 pm

Whenever I come I have to exert extreme pressure on my penis to be able to do so. Because of this I can't come by masterbating with my hand, and have to push my groin against something forcefully to be able to ejaculate. coming isn't a problem with regard to sex but i need to be on top and exerting a lot of pressure. i need to know if there is anyway to come without having to exert such massive pressure, such as when i'm underneath my girl-friend or conventional masterbation with my hand?

Posted by Alex on 20/04/2009 at 07:03:00 am

after Ejaculating i feel as if there is a blockage in the tubs in my penis and when i urinate it feels uncountable, ans isn't a easy steady flow and there seems to be seaman in the urine this always happened if i had been drinking before masturbating and Ejaculating but now i seems to happen with out drinking alcohol before, i have had this for about 10 years of so and have always had the same girlfriend and have always used condoms so i am happy nit to believe it is a STI but i have no idar what the problem is ? thanks for any help PS this only happens after masturbation, not sex

Posted by sameer on 12/04/2009 at 06:39:00 pm

when i feel like sex liquid flow from my penies and reduces my sex desire. Help me out