QUESTION
I recently had a bout with NGU but I'm frustrated to not have a final answer. My symptoms were as follows: Late morning, I had a bit of discomfort after urination. By early evening, the pain and burning increased tremendously and I had a slight clear, yellowish discharge. I went to the hospital and had a urinalysis. Swabs were then taken of the discharge and tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Both tests were negative and the gram stain showed many WBC and no organisms.

I was treated with tetracycline and my symptoms cleared up really quickly. I did have a new sexual partner 14 days before this happened. She had no symptoms, but I was given a prescription to give to her anyway. If I didn't have gonorrhea or chlamydia, what could explain the pain and discharge?

ANSWER
There are several sexually transmitted infections -- bacteria and viruses -- that cause urethritis and can be carried in the throats, rectums, and vaginas of people. Examples are mycoplasma genitalium, ureaplasmas, trichomoniasis, as well as certain streptococcus and haemophilus species.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia are only two infections for which doctors commonly test. Luckily, the treatment for NGU covers many of these other organisms. Most women are asymptomatic and only know that they are carrying these bacteria or viruses when their sex partner has symptoms as you described.

To your health,
Dr. K