“The drip” is a slang term for a sexually transmitted infection that causes discharge from the penis or, less commonly, the vagina. It most often refers to gonorrhea, though chlamydia and a few other infections can produce the same symptom. The nickname comes from the visible dripping of pus or mucus from the urethra, which is one of the most recognizable signs of an STI in men.
What Causes the Drip
The discharge itself is a sign of urethritis, or inflammation inside the urethra (the tube you urinate through). Two bacteria are the most common culprits: Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) and Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia). Gonorrhea is the infection most classically associated with the drip because it tends to produce a heavier, more obvious discharge. Chlamydia causes a lighter discharge and is responsible for roughly 15% to 40% of non-gonococcal urethritis cases in men.
A third bacterium, Mycoplasma genitalium, is increasingly recognized as a cause of urethral discharge and burning during urination. It’s less well known than gonorrhea or chlamydia, but it can produce nearly identical symptoms. Having both gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time is also common, so a single episode of “the drip” can involve more than one infection.
What the Discharge Looks Like
Gonorrhea typically produces a thick, yellowish or greenish discharge that’s hard to miss. It can appear at the tip of the penis even without squeezing, and it may stain underwear. Chlamydia, by contrast, tends to cause a thinner, clearer or slightly cloudy discharge that’s easier to overlook. Some people describe it as watery or mucus-like rather than pus-like.
Both infections can also cause a burning sensation when urinating and itching or irritation inside the urethra. In women, symptoms are far less obvious. Most women with gonorrhea or chlamydia have no noticeable discharge at all, or they notice only a subtle change in their normal vaginal discharge, which makes the infection easy to miss without testing.
How Quickly Symptoms Appear
Gonorrhea has one of the shortest incubation periods of any STI. Most men notice discharge within 2 to 5 days of exposure, though symptoms can appear anywhere from the same day to 30 days later. The 2 to 7 day window is the most common. Chlamydia tends to take a bit longer, often 1 to 3 weeks, and many people never develop noticeable symptoms at all.
This timing difference is one reason gonorrhea earned the “drip” nickname more than chlamydia. The rapid onset and unmistakable discharge make it obvious that something is wrong. With chlamydia, the infection can quietly persist for weeks or months before a person realizes they have it, if they ever do.
How It’s Diagnosed
The standard test is a nucleic acid amplification test, which detects the genetic material of the bacteria. For men, a first-void urine sample (the first part of your urine stream) is the preferred method. It’s just as accurate as a urethral swab and far less uncomfortable. The same type of test can check for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and Mycoplasma genitalium all from a single sample.
If you go in with visible discharge, a provider may also take a swab of the discharge for a quick microscope exam. Seeing certain types of bacteria under the microscope can confirm a gonorrhea diagnosis on the spot, though the lab test is still run to be sure. Results from the urine test typically come back within a few days.
Treatment
Gonorrhea is treated with a single injection of an antibiotic, given right in the clinic. Because gonorrhea and chlamydia so often occur together, providers will usually also prescribe a week-long course of oral antibiotics to cover chlamydia unless testing has already ruled it out. Chlamydia on its own is treated with a 7-day course of oral antibiotics taken twice daily. A single-dose oral option exists as an alternative, but evidence shows it’s less effective, particularly for infections that may also be present in the rectum.
Mycoplasma genitalium requires a different antibiotic approach, and drug-resistant strains are becoming more common. If symptoms persist after finishing treatment, you should return for follow-up testing, as the first round of antibiotics may not have cleared the infection.
One important detail: you need to avoid sex until treatment is fully completed and symptoms have resolved. Having sex too soon risks passing the infection right back to a partner or picking it up again yourself.
What Happens to Your Partners
Anyone you’ve had sex with needs to be treated too, even if they have no symptoms. Reinfection from an untreated partner is one of the most common reasons people end up back at the clinic with the same problem weeks later. For gonorrhea and chlamydia, the CDC supports a practice called expedited partner therapy, where your provider can give you a prescription or medication to bring directly to your partner. This is especially useful when a partner can’t easily get to a clinic themselves, though an in-person visit and test is always better when possible.
What Happens If You Ignore It
Untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia doesn’t just go away on its own. In men, the infection can spread deeper into the reproductive tract, causing epididymitis, a painful swelling in the tissue behind the testicles that can involve fever and scrotal pain. In rare cases, gonorrhea bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause joint pain, skin sores, and fever, a condition known as disseminated gonococcal infection.
In women, untreated infections can climb into the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease. This can cause chronic pelvic pain, scarring of the reproductive organs, and long-term fertility problems. Because women are less likely to have obvious symptoms like the drip, they’re at higher risk of the infection progressing silently to this stage.
Could It Be Something Other Than an STI
Not every case of urethral discharge is sexually transmitted. Urinary tract infections can cause burning and discharge, though UTIs in men are less common and tend to come with additional symptoms like frequent urination, urgency, and blood in the urine rather than a milky or pus-like discharge. Chemical irritation from scented soaps, lubricants, or spermicides can also inflame the urethra and produce discharge. Physical irritation from vigorous sexual activity is another possibility.
That said, if you’re sexually active and notice discharge from the penis, an STI is the most likely explanation and should be tested for first. The non-infectious causes are typically considered only after gonorrhea, chlamydia, and other infections have been ruled out.