Free risk assessment
Do I Have NGU (nongonococcal Urethritis)?
Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) means the urethra — the tube inside the penis that carries urine and semen — is inflamed by something other than gonorrhea. It usually shows up as discharge, burning when you pee, or irritation at the tip of the penis, most often 1–3 weeks after sex. NGU isn't one specific germ: it's a sign that an infection needs to be found and treated. Answer a few questions about your symptoms and exposure to see how concerned to be and what to do next. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
- 100% anonymous
- Under 3 minutes
- No sign-up
- Curable?
- Yes
- With oral antibiotics
- Main symptom
- Urethral discharge
- Plus painful urination
- First-line
- Doxycycline
- 100 mg twice daily, 7 days
- Cause identified
- ~50%
- Often no organism found
How it works
How this assessment works
-
Grounded in public-health guidance
The questions, and how heavily each answer counts, follow the risk factors and symptoms the CDC and WHO describe for NGU.
-
A risk guide, not a diagnosis
Your answers produce a risk level, how concerned to be, and flag anything that needs urgent care. Only a lab test can confirm or rule out an infection.
-
Private by design
It runs in your browser. We never ask for your name, email, or anything that identifies you.
About nongonococcal urethritis (NGU)
What is nongonococcal urethritis (NGU)?
Noticed discharge from the tip of your penis, a burning sting when you pee, or an itchy, irritated feeling inside — maybe a week or two after sex with a new partner? That's the picture of urethritis: inflammation of the urethra, the tube that runs down the penis. When gonorrhea has been ruled out as the cause, it's called nongonococcal urethritis, or NGU. The symptoms can be obvious or mild and come and go, and some people notice discharge only first thing in the morning.
Urethritis is one of the most common things treated in a sexual-health clinic for people with a penis, and NGU is very treatable — so this is more reassuring than alarming. The point isn't to name one specific germ from your answers (chlamydia is the most common cause, but there are several others, and sometimes none is found). The point is to recognise likely urethritis and get the one thing that sorts it out: a test that identifies the cause and the right antibiotic to clear it. This check weighs your answers to show how concerned to be and what to do next.
Many infections are silent. A low result here doesn't rule nongonococcal urethritis (ngu) out: if you've had a new partner or any concern, testing is the only way to be sure.
Screening guidance
Who should get tested for nongonococcal urethritis (NGU)?
Testing for nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) is guided by symptoms, a known exposure, or a partner's diagnosis rather than routine screening, you test when you have a reason to.
- 1
You have discharge from the penis
Any clear, cloudy or white discharge from the tip of the penis is a classic sign of urethritis and should be checked. A clinician can confirm the inflammation and test for chlamydia, gonorrhea and often M. genitalium or trichomonas to find the cause.
- 2
You have burning when you pee after a new partner
A stinging or burning feeling when you urinate that starts in the weeks after unprotected sex is a common way NGU shows up — get tested rather than waiting to see if it settles.
- 3
A partner was diagnosed with chlamydia or another STI
If a recent partner tests positive for chlamydia or another STI, you should be tested and treated even without symptoms, because the same infection commonly causes NGU and can be passed back and forth.
- 4
Your symptoms persist or come back after treatment
Discharge or burning that doesn't clear, or returns after a course of antibiotics, can point to Mycoplasma genitalium or a resistant infection that needs specific testing and a different regimen — go back to a clinician.
Timing
When a nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) test is reliable
Your nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) testing window
After a possible exposure, a nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) test becomes reliable around 1–3 weeks later.
Before day 7 a test can miss it · from day 7 it's reliable · re-test after day 21 if you tested early.
Free tool · not a clinic
When can I test? Exposure-window calculator
Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.
| Infection | Earliest reliable test | Conclusive after |
|---|
Guidance only, confirm timing with a clinician. A negative result before the conclusive date may need a repeat test.
Good to Know
Nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) FAQs
What people ask most before testing for nongonococcal urethritis (ngu).
What causes NGU?
NGU is urethritis with gonorrhea ruled out, so it isn't one single germ. The most common identified cause is chlamydia; other causes include Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, and sometimes ureaplasma, herpes simplex or adenovirus. In many cases no specific organism is found even after testing, which is normal and doesn't mean the inflammation isn't real. That's why the next step is a test to identify the cause so it can be treated properly.
Is NGU an STD?
It's usually caused by a sexually transmitted infection, so it's treated as one. NGU most often follows unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex and is passed on through the underlying infection (commonly chlamydia or M. genitalium). Occasionally urethritis has a non-sexual cause, but because an STI is the usual reason, testing and treating partners is the standard approach.
What's the difference between NGU and gonorrhea?
Both inflame the urethra and cause discharge and burning when you pee, so you can't tell them apart from symptoms alone. The difference is the cause: gonorrhea is caused by the gonorrhea bacterium, while NGU is urethritis where gonorrhea has been ruled out and something else is responsible. A clinician confirms which one you have with a test, and the two are treated with different antibiotics — another reason to get tested rather than guess.
How is NGU treated?
With antibiotics. Doxycycline is commonly used, and the exact choice depends on what the testing finds — for example, Mycoplasma genitalium can need a specific regimen because it resists some antibiotics. Symptoms usually improve within a week or so of starting treatment. It's important to finish the full course, avoid sex until you and your partners are treated, and see a clinician again if symptoms don't clear up.
Should my partner(s) be treated too?
Yes. Recent sexual partners should be tested and treated even if they have no symptoms, because the underlying infection can be passed back and forth (reinfection) or spread to others. Treating partners at the same time is what stops the cycle. Avoid sex until everyone has completed treatment and symptoms have resolved.
Have a different question? Browse the full STD & STI FAQ library, every question we answer, in one place.