Does prostatic fluid contain bacteria?

Prostatic fluid is the discharge from the male penis. It is secreted by the prostate gland and is also a component of male sperm. Prostatic fluid is mostly milky white, but when a man has prostatitis, the prostatic fluid will become turbid and appear yellow or red. When a man has yellow-red turbid prostatic fluid, it is necessary to consider whether there is a bacterial infection and related diseases.

Prostatitis is a group of diseases, which are classified into acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP), chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP), chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP), and prostatodynia (PD) according to the traditional Meares-Stamey "four cups method". In 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States formulated a new classification method: Type I, equivalent to ABP in the traditional classification; Type II, equivalent to CBP in the traditional classification; Type III chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, equivalent to CNP and PD in the traditional classification; Type IV, asymptomatic prostatitis. Bacterial prostatitis mainly refers to Type I and Type II, which belong to the category of prostate infectious diseases.

Causes

1. Acute bacterial prostatitis

The main pathogenic factor of bacterial prostatitis is Escherichia coli, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus, Pseudomonas, etc. Most of them are caused by a single pathogen. Bacteria or other pathogens infect the prostate and grow rapidly and proliferate, mostly through bloodstream infection or retrograde infection through the urethra.

2. Chronic bacterial prostatitis

The main pathogenic factor is retrograde infection of pathogens, mainly Staphylococcus, followed by Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium and Enterococcus, etc. Prostatic stones and urine reflux may be important reasons for the persistence of pathogens and recurrence of infection.

3. Factors that induce prostatitis

The main causes of prostatitis include: smoking, drinking, spicy food addiction, inappropriate sexual activities, long-term congestion of the prostate caused by sitting for a long time and long-term chronic compression of the pelvic floor muscles, cold, fatigue, etc., which lead to decreased body resistance or special physical constitution.

Clinical manifestations

1. Acute bacterial prostatitis

The disease occurs suddenly, with chills and high fever, accompanied by frequent urination, urgency, pain and perineal pain. Dysuria or acute urinary retention occurs. Rectal examination shows that the prostate is swollen and full, with obvious tenderness, local temperature rise, and abscess formation with a fluctuating feeling. Acute pyelonephritis may occur at the same time as bloodstream infection.

2. Chronic bacterial prostatitis

Chronic bacterial prostatitis has recurrent lower urinary tract infection symptoms, such as frequent urination, urgency, pain, burning sensation during urination, dysuria, urinary retention, and swelling and discomfort in the posterior urethra, anus and perineum. The duration is more than 3 months.

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