Q: I am a 32 years old man and my wife is 26 years old. My wife complained of pain while passing urine. After urine analysis and culture it was found that she had 2-4 hpf pus cells and the culture showed infection of over a million. She started taking antibiotics. I also got a urine analysis and culture test done and the report showed 2-4 hpf (pus cells) but culture report was negative. The doctor said that I probably got urine infection from someone and passed it to my wife and he asked us not to indulge in sexual contact till the infection was cleared from both of us and advised 10 tabs of Ciplox TZ. After completing the course, we both had a urine analysis and culture test done. The urine report showed the same 2-4 hpf pus cells and culture reports were negative for both of us. The doctor said it's normal to have pus cells in the urine. I still get a slight burning sensation when I urinate and after I took Ciplox there were 3-4 pimples inside the penis and I have suffered from mouth ulcers too. The doctor asked me to continue Ciplox for 3-4 days more and then everything would be fine. Is it normal to have pus cells in urine analysis? Are there any more tests available to confirm nothing is wrong with my wife or me or to find why we both have pus cells in our urine? Is it safe to have sexual contact with my wife?

A:Infection is certainly the most common cause of the burning while passing urine. Urine tests can usually diagnose acute infections. The patients with urine infection will have the triad of tell tale urinary voiding symptoms, pyuria (urine having pus cells more than 5 per hpf in males and more than 10 per hpf in females) and a positive urine culture. Sexually transmitted diseases are another common cause of such symptoms and need to be ruled out with appropriate tests (tests for gonorrhoea, Chlamydia and Herpes). Prostatitis in man and genital inflammations (like cervicitis) in women is most common cause of chronic discomfort while passing urine, along with perineal, and low back pain.