Blood in semen

Blood in semen is not usually caused by something serious, but you should get it checked by a GP just in case.

What blood in semen looks like

Blood in your semen can be:

• bright red when the bleeding has occurred recently
• brown or reddish-brown when the bleeding is older

Sometimes there may be small lumps (clots) in the blood.

Depending on the cause, you may also have other symptoms like:

• blood in your pee
• pain when peeing or ejaculating
• peeing more often than usual
• pain in the area between your anus (bottom) and scrotum (the skin that covers your testicles)
• pain in the abdomen, pelvis or scrotum

Causes of blood in semen

Most of the time it's not obvious what causes blood in semen and it goes away on its own.

But it's important to get it checked to make sure it's nothing serious.

Common causes of blood in semen include:

• an infection, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or sexually transmitted infection (STI)
• a recent procedure or test, such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), a cystoscopy or a vasectomy
• a problem with the prostate, such as prostatitis or an enlarged prostate

Rarely, blood in semen can be a sign of cancer, such as prostate cancer.

See a GP if:

• you have blood in your semen

A GP can check for common causes and refer you to a specialist for more tests if needed.

Treatment for blood in semen

Blood in semen does not usually need to be treated. It often goes away by itself in a few days or weeks.

If a cause can be found, this may need to be treated.

For example, a urinary tract infection (UTI) or sexually transmitted infection (STI) may be treated with antibiotics.