Patient's question:
Detailed medical condition and consultation purpose: When I masturbate at home, the semen I eject has blood in it. The semen is a light blood-red color. However, there are no other symptoms such as pain or itching. What could be the cause?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Semen suddenly changes from its normal milky white color to blood-red, reddish-brown, or mixed with blood streaks, naturally indicating the presence of blood. So where does the blood come from? It must be due to a pathological condition in some part of the spermatic pathway, such as bleeding, inflammation, or even a tumor. Do not take hematospermia lightly, as it could also be a sign of a serious disease. It is best to consult a specialist doctor for a thorough examination.Clinically, hematospermia is not uncommon. After detailed clinical and laboratory examinations, the majority of cases can be controlled or cured through treatment, while only a very small number of tumor patients require further treatment.
The composition of semen consists mainly of the small volume of sperm, with the majority coming from the seminal vesicles, followed by the prostate. Anatomically, the ejaculatory ducts connecting the seminal vesicles open into the posterior urethral crest of the posterior urethra, surrounded by 10–20 openings of prostatic ducts. In fact, the seminal vesicles, prostate, and posterior urethra are interconnected, making it easy for inflammation to spread from one to the others. Additionally, the wall of the seminal vesicles is very thin, and once congested, the blood-filled wall is prone to bleeding. Therefore, the most common causes of hematospermia are first seminal vesiculitis, followed by prostatitis and posterior urethritis or posterior urethral congestion. It can also be caused by inflammation spreading from nearby organs, leading to inflammation, swelling, congestion, and bleeding of the seminal vesicle wall.
Generally, at least 70% of hematospermia cases in individuals under 30 are caused by inflammation. If hematospermia occurs only occasionally and no specific abnormalities are found upon examination, it may also be due to minor microhemorrhages in certain tissues during sexual intercourse caused by rapid congestion and mechanical friction.