Exams and Tests

Your health care provider may perform a series of diagnostic tests.

• An ultrasound of the inflamed testicle or both can tell the difference between orchitis and testicular torsion, another painful condition.

• With a rectal exam, your doctor checks your prostate for infection. This test is necessary because antibiotic treatment will be used for a longer period of time if the infection involves the prostate.

• A sample of discharge taken from the urethra, the tube that forms the opening at the end of the penis, identifies which bacteria are responsible for the infection.  Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped swab, and the procedure is not uncomfortable.

• Blood is drawn to test for HIV and syphilis if a sexually transmitted disease is suspected.