Causes
A malfunctioning bladder sphincter, leading to retrograde ejaculation, may be a result either of:

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction. (Dysautonomia)
Operation on the prostate. It is a common complication of transurethral resection of the prostate, a procedure in which prostate tissue is removed, slice by slice, through a resectoscope passed along the urethra.It can also be caused by a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer if nerve pathways to the bladder sphincter are damaged, with the resulting retrograde ejaculation being either temporary or permanent. Modern nerve-sparing techniques seek to reduce this risk; however, it may also occur as the result of Green Light Laser prostate surgery. Surgery on the bladder neck accounted for about ten percent of the cases of retrograde ejaculation or anejaculation reported in a literature review.Retrograde ejaculation is a common side effect of medications, such as tamsulosin, that are used to relax the muscles of the urinary tract, treating conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. By relaxing the bladder sphincter muscle, the likelihood of retrograde ejaculation is increased. The medications that mostly cause it are antidepressant and antipsychotic medication, as well as NRIs such as atomoxetine; patients experiencing this phenomenon tend to quit the medications.Retrograde ejaculation can also be a complication of diabetes, especially in cases of diabetics with long term poor blood sugar control. This is due to neuropathy of the bladder sphincter. Post-pubertal males (aged 17 to 20 years) who experience repeated episodes of retrograde ejaculation are often diagnosed with urethral stricture disease shortly after the initial complaint arises.
In more severe cases, in-vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection may be used. Intentional induction
Retrograde ejaculation can be deliberately induced by squeezing the urethra at the base or applying pressure to the perineum during orgasm. The retrograde-ejaculated sperm goes into the bladder and is excreted with the next urination. Contraception
In certain cultures, such as in the Oneida Community, retrograde ejaculation is performed as a form of primitive male birth control (coitus saxonicus). However, the practice is not considered a reliable method compared to most modern types of birth control. Besides the  lack of protection from STDs, the technique itself can be hard to execute correctly during the act of coitus, especially if the male does not fully understand the anatomy involved. Many doctors also do not recommend coitus saxonicus due to the risk of putting pressure on the pudendal nerve, which can cause numbness in the penis. Taoism
Taoists and some fields of alternative medicine recommend and teach deliberate retrograde ejaculation as a way of "conserving the bodys energy". It was believed that retrograde ejaculation caused the sperm to travel into the head and nourish the brain, or that energy is conserved physically by keeping the sperm (and thereby, the "intelligence" that created it) in the body. However, there are other Taoist perspectives on the general subject of ejaculation and techniques that do not involve retrograde ejaculation (see Taoist sexual practices). See also
Aspermia
Ejaculatory duct obstruction
Hypospermia
Internal urethral sphincter
Spermaturia

Notes


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