Urethra News and Research

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In anatomy, the urethra is a tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body. The urethra has an excretory function in both genders to pass urine to the outside, and also a reproductive function in the male, as a passage for sperm.

Trial offers hope for babies with fetal kidney failure

Women diagnosed early in pregnancy with a fetus lacking adequate kidney function to make the urine that serves as vital amniotic fluid have long faced virtually no chance of their fetus's survival after birth.

8 Jul 2026

Mycoplasma genitalium unlikely to drive recurrent preterm deliveries

A new study from UTHealth Houston found that the common sexually transmitted infection, Mycoplasma genitalium, also known as MGen, does not appear to increase the risk of recurrent preterm birth.

9 Jun 2026

Aspirin use may help unmask early asymptomatic bladder cancer

The presence of blood cells in urine is a sign of bladder cancer. Because aspirin blocks platelets from forming harmful blood clots, the medication can cause mild bleeding or worsen existing bleeding in the urinary tract.

3 Jun 2026

Cranberry juice may boost antibiotic effectiveness against urinary infections

More than 400 million people experience a urinary tract infection every year, and some epidemiological studies estimate that more than half of all women will develop at least one in their lifetime.

4 May 2026

Prostate cancer patients recover faster with TULSA than robotic surgery

A new randomized clinical trial found that men with localized, intermediate‑risk prostate cancer recovered faster and experienced less short‑term impact on their daily lives when treated with MRI‑guided, transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) compared with robotic prostate surgery.

13 Apr 2026

Urine cfDNA patterns emerge as a promising tool for diagnosing bladder cancer

Researchers have discovered that analyzing specific patterns of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentation in a simple urine sample can effectively diagnose and stage bladder cancer, offering a much-needed alternative to invasive procedures like cystoscopies.

4 Dec 2025

Over one-third of men would rather endure stressful situations than discuss prostate health

A new survey from Orlando Health reveals that over one-third of men (38%) would rather endure stressful situations, such as watching their team lose a big game or being stuck in traffic, than discuss their prostate health.

4 Nov 2025

Regenerative strategy offers hope for women with pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disorder that primarily affects older women who have experienced multiple vaginal childbirths.

27 Aug 2025

Enfortumab vedotin and pembrolizumab show major benefits for urothelial carcinoma patients

Urothelium is the term for the mucous membrane that lines the urinary tract. This includes the renal pelvis, ureter, urinary bladder and the upper part of the urethra. In the vast majority of cases, urothelial carcinomas grow in the bladder (bladder carcinoma).

4 Apr 2025

Aquablation shows promise for treating enlarged prostate with fewer side effects

Using a high-pressure water jet to operate on an enlarged prostate can better preserve the ability to ejaculate, compared with standard laser surgery, finds research.

22 Mar 2025

New device developed to non-invasively break up kidney stones

A team from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), belonging to the Research Institute for Molecular Imaging Technologies (I3M), has developed, together with the NITIUV Group of the La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) in Valencia and the Biomechanics Institute of Valencia, a new device - in the prototype phase - to break up kidney stones.

12 Mar 2025

Early side effects of radiation may increase long-term risk for prostate cancer patients

Men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer who experience side effects early in treatment may face a higher risk of developing more serious long-term urinary and bowel health issues, according to a new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

31 Jan 2025

New urine-based kit promises accurate bladder cancer diagnosis at home

Bladder cancer has a cure rate of over 90% when detected early, but it has a high recurrence rate of 70%, necessitating continuous monitoring.

21 Jan 2025

Researchers explore steam treatment for prostate cancer

Steam eliminates wrinkles and germs, but can it destroy cancer cells too?

7 Jan 2025

Early results of doxy PEP rollout show mixed impact on STIs

As health care services begin offering doxycycline to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), real-world evidence demonstrates that the postexposure strategy, called doxy PEP, is reducing the rate of syphilis and chlamydia, but has had little to no effect on gonorrhea and needs close monitoring for signals of antibiotic resistance.

6 Jan 2025

Study illuminates the origin and progression of bladder cancer

How bladder cancer originates and progresses has been illuminated as never before in a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

9 Oct 2024

Yoga and stretching offer relief for urinary incontinence in older women

Older women struggling with urinary incontinence can benefit from regular, low-impact exercise, with yoga as well as stretching and strengthening showing benefits in a new study published Aug. 27 in Annals of Internal Medicine.

6 Sep 2024

Menopause myths: Separating fact from fiction

Many women approach menopause with anxiety about the future. You've probably heard your grandmother, mother, or aunts lament about menopause, aka "the change," as a stressful time full of hot flashes, weight gain, and plummeting sex drive.

6 Aug 2024

New option emerges for managing stress urinary incontinence

An investigational medication designated TAS-303 shows efficacy and safety in treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), reports a placebo-controlled clinical trial in the August issue of The Journal of Urology®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

12 Jul 2024

Study links higher microplastic levels in urine to endometriosis risk

A study in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety finds higher levels of microplastics in urine samples from endometriosis patients compared to healthy individuals.

21 May 2024