Male Body Concerns / Question
Published: July 14, 2004
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am 15 and have been masturbating since as long as I can remember and recently after masturbation I feel pain on the tip of my penis and the other day I noticed a little blood coming out (sorry for lack of scientificness). And I was just wondering. Well what's up with that? Thanks!
Signed: Bloody Penis After Masturbation
Dear Bloody Penis After Masturbation,
Unfortunately, TeenHealthFX cannot tell you exactly what is going on over the Internet. Only a doctor can do that, and if you continue to have pain and bleeding from the tip of your penis after masturbation, it is a good idea to make an appointment to see one.
There are a variety of things that could be causing this bleeding - for one, you might have scratched yourself with your nail or pulled a little too hard and caused a split in the skin at the opening of your urethra (the tube that carries urine and ejaculate out of your penis); sometimes splits like this take a while to heal and will bleed frequently because they are constantly being re-irritated by the flow of urine; they can also be stretched and enlarged every time you get an erection. The blood could also be coming from inside your urethra or somewhere else along your genital or urinary tract, and could signify some underlying problem aside from just an abrasion or a cut- a doctor will be able to run some tests and determine if that is the case. Finally, you do not say whether or not you are sexually active, or if you practice safer sex, but sometimes penile discharge or bleeding can be a sign of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that needs to be treated by a doctor.
FX understands that you might feel awkward talking to your doctor about this, but remember that he or she understands your concerns and will do his or her best to make the experience as comfortable as possible. If you cannot go to your own doctor about it, you can call a teen health center in your area. Teen health centers can see teens for sexual health reasons without your parent's consent and on a low/no cost basis. If you live in northern New Jersey you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at (973) 971.6475. If you live outside of Northern New Jersey, please call your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
More than four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 - nearly one million a year teen pregnancies a year 
