Can I have sex if I have epididymitis?

Patients with epididymitis should try not to have sexual intercourse during the treatment period, as this will make their symptoms more serious. This disease is prone to complications, the most common complication being testicular infarction. If this is the case, it will lead to many problems. It is necessary to find appropriate treatment measures before the disease develops, and to ensure absolute personal hygiene.

The most serious complications of acute epididymitis are abscess formation and testicular infarction. The former is often caused by untimely or improper treatment; the latter is testicular ischemic necrosis caused by spermatic cord vascular thrombosis or spermatic cord vascular compression. Another complication is infertility, which is more common in bilateral epididymitis, and the incidence of infertility in gonorrheal epididymitis is higher. In addition, antisperm antibodies are found in the serum of about 27% of epididymitis patients. This may also be the cause of infertility.

1.1 General treatment: Rest in bed. Using a scrotal support can alleviate symptoms. A homemade larger scrotal support with cotton pads will be more comfortable to use. Painkillers can be used for severe pain. Local heat therapy can relieve symptoms and promote the disappearance of inflammation. However, using heat therapy too early can aggravate pain and has the risk of promoting the spread of infection, so it is advisable to use ice packs for local cold compresses in the early stage. Sexual intercourse and physical labor can aggravate infection and should be avoided.

1.2 Application of antibacterial drugs: Choose drugs that are sensitive to bacteria. Usually, oral antibacterial drugs are taken for 2-4 weeks after intravenous administration for 1-2 weeks to prevent the disease from turning into chronic inflammation.

1.3 Surgical treatment: If antibiotic treatment is ineffective and testicular ischemia is suspected, epididymotomy should be performed to relieve pressure. The epididymal lining should be cut vertically or horizontally, but the epididymal duct should be avoided.

Chronic epididymitis

Chronic epididymitis should not be treated with drugs alone. In addition to the use of effective broad-spectrum antibiotics, physical treatments such as local hot compresses are also necessary. Local application of berberine or neomycin plasma ionization therapy can also be used for epididymal local application. If chronic prostatitis exists, it must be treated at the same time. For recurrent epididymitis caused by chronic prostatitis, vasectomy can be considered before treatment. For those who have recurrent episodes, epididymectomy can also be considered.