Urinary symptoms, sexual intercourse and significant bacteriuria in male patients attending STD clinics.

OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between sexual behaviour, urinary symptoms, urinalysis and bacteriuria in men attending STD clinics. DESIGN A prospective study recording sexual behaviour, urinary symptoms and collecting mid-stream urine specimens. SETTING Two West Midlands STD clinics, UK. SUBJECTS 1086 new male patients. RESULTS 704 patients had had sexual intercourse (SI) within 14 days of testing, 424 had urinary symptoms and 122 had pyuria. All 13 patients with positive culture had SI < 14 days before testing, urinary symptoms and pyuria. No association was found between sexual orientation, type of SI, number of sexual partners, condom usage and bacteriuria. CONCLUSION Bacteriuria does not behave as an STD but SI may be a factor in acquiring bacteriuria. Dysuria with or without urethral discharge is the most predictive symptom of bacteriuria. Pyuria has a high sensitivity for predicting bacteriuria among males.