Proctitis (cont.)

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Slideshow Pictures

Medical Author:

Hardik C Soni, MD

Coauthor:

Eugene Hardin, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Coauthor:

Craig Wilder, MD

Medical Editor:

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

James Quinn, MD

Proctitis Causes

Proctitis has many causes, but sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are the most common. Gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, anal warts, and chlamydia are the most common cause of sexually transmitted proctitis. Proctitis is increasingly more common in homosexual men and in people engaging in oral-anal or anal intercourse with many partners.

Other causes include the following:

Nonsexually transmitted infections
Autoimmune diseases of the colon such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis
Harmful physical agents
- Chemicals
- Foreign objects placed in the rectum
- Trauma to your anorectal area
- Radiation (a side effect from treatment for another illness)
- Antibiotics (a side effect from treatment for another illness)