Symptoms:

Prostatitis may occur with an infection in or around the testicles (epididymitis or orchitis), especially if it was caused by an STD. In this case, there will also be symptoms of the other condition.

Symptoms of acute prostatitis are more likely to start quickly and cause greater discomfort. They may include the following:

• Abdominal pain (usually right above the pubic bone)
• Burning with urination (dysuria)
• Fever, chills, flush
• Inability to completely empty the bladder (urinary retention)
• Low back pain
• Pain with urination (dysuria)
• Pain with bowel movement
• Pain with ejaculation
• Pain in the area between the genitals and anus (perineal pain)

Other symptoms that may occur with this condition:

• Blood in the semen
• Blood in the urine
• Decreased force of urinary stream
• Difficulty urinating
• Foul-smelling urine
• Increased urinary frequency or urgency
• Testicle pain

Signs and tests:

During a physical examination, your health care provider may find the following signs:

• Discharge from your urethra
• Enlarged or tender lymph nodes in your groin
• Swollen or tender scrotum
• Warm, soft, swollen, or tender prostate

Urine specimens may be collected for urinalysis and urine culture.

Examination of the discharge from the prostate may show increased white blood cells and bacteria.

Note: Your health care provider may choose not to perform a prostate massage if the prostate is obviously swollen and tender. Massage may spread the infection and cause bacteremia or sepsis. These are potentially life-threatening infections in which bacteria are in the bloodstream, rather than in just one part of the body.

Acute prostatitis may also affect the results of the following tests:

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
• Semen analysis