Pain during urination
The early phase of genital herpes infection has a direct association with urinary tract issues and symptoms. Genital herpes can result in inflammation inside the genitals and around the urethra, a tube that transports urine from the bladder to the penis for excretion. However in later stages of the herpes infection, symptoms like urinary urgency, painful urination, urinary urge incontinence, and urinary frequency disturbance appear. Some of the urinary issues include reduced bladder sensation that ultimately leads to urinary retention and increased residual urine. A person feels utter difficulty and pain in passing the urine. Some people also experience painful discharge from the penis or vagina while passing the urine. The swelling of urethra due to genital herpes can also close the passage of urine from bladder to penis for several days which makes the person to insert a catheter to help drain the urinary bladder.