Rotimi had burning urination for a month. A previous clinic had treated him for UTI — twice — but the urine culture kept coming back negative. Mascot Healthcare tested for the right pathogen and cleared the infection within a week.
Electrical engineer, Ikorodu. Presented with urethral discharge (clear, mucoid), burning on urination, and urethral irritation for 4 weeks. Had been treated once for presumed UTI without improvement.
Non-Gonococcal Urethritis (Chlamydia trachomatis)Rotimi first noticed the burning on a Monday morning in late October. He put it down to not drinking enough water and drank three extra bottles that day. By Wednesday, there was a small amount of clear discharge. He went to the closest pharmacy, which sent him to a nearby clinic.
The clinic diagnosed him with a urinary tract infection based on symptoms alone and prescribed ciprofloxacin. He completed the five-day course. The burning improved for a week — then returned. Back to the clinic; another urine test, another course of antibiotics. The culture came back negative again. The doctor shrugged and said to "drink more water."
Rotimi's partner asked him to please see a different doctor. He found Mascot Healthcare and came in with his previous test results, including both negative urine cultures. The doctor looked at the results, examined the urethral discharge, and said: "Your urine doesn't have bacteria because this isn't a UTI — let's test for what it actually is."
Non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) presents differently from both UTI and gonorrhoea — subtly enough to be missed without targeted testing.
Clear to slightly cloudy mucoid discharge — more prominent in the morning, sometimes staining underwear.
Dysuria that worsened with the first void of the day; improved temporarily, then returned.
Persistent itching and discomfort inside the urethra between urination.
Standard urine cultures had been run twice — both showed no bacterial growth, puzzling previous doctors.
No fever, no loin pain, no frequency urgency — pointing away from a UTI pattern.
Ciprofloxacin BD × 5 days — prescribed for presumed UTI; temporary partial improvement.
Second antibiotic course (amoxicillin-clavulanate) — no improvement; urine culture again negative.
Increased water intake — no change in symptoms.
Cranberry supplement — no evidence-based effect on urethritis.
The doctor sent a urethral swab for chlamydia test. The result came back positive for Chlamydia trachomatis. This explained everything: the discharge, the burning and the failure to respond to UTI antibiotics.
Treatment: Rotimi's treatment stared and he was advised to abstain from sexual activity for 7 days and to inform his partner for testing and concurrent treatment (to avoid re-infection).
He was also tested for gonorrhoea and syphilis as a routine co-infection screen — both negative.
Non-Gonococcal Urethritis — Chlamydia trachomatis
Doxycycline ; partner treatment; gonorrhoea and syphilis co-screen; abstinence during treatment
Symptoms fully resolved by day 5.
Rotimi was symptom-free by day 5 of treatment. His partner was tested, found positive, and treated simultaneously. Test of cure confirmed clearance.
Chlamydia is the commonest curable STI globally and a leading cause of urethritis in men. It does not show up on standard urine cultures — only specific testing detects it reliably.
The pattern — urethral discharge, burning urination, negative urine culture — should trigger targeted STI testing, not a repeated UTI antibiotic course.
Negative urine culture + urethral discharge = test for chlamydia. Standard antibiotics for UTIs don't treat it.
Book an appointment at Mascot Healthcare, Akoka — same-day slots often available, 4.9★ rated.