Friction Burn On Penis Or STD? Symptoms, Treatment, And Preventio

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Sexual Health

How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Friction Burn on Your Penis

Medically reviewed by Kelsey Nank, PA-C — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on May 28, 2025

Causes
Symptoms
Vs. STDs
Treatment
Prevention
See a doctor
Takeaway

Chafing or friction burns on your penis may be a result of sexual activity, masturbation, or wearing tight clothing. You can prevent friction burns by being more gentle during masturbation or sex.

Burns occur when your skin comes into contact with a very hot source. In friction burns, the heat is produced due to contact or rubbing against an abrasive source like carpet, concrete, or clothing.

It’s hard to determine the prevalence of penile friction burns. A 2023 review estimates that 1% to 17% of all burns occur on the penis, but the authors conclude that this is likely an overestimation.

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, treatments, and prevention methods of penile friction burns.

What causes a friction burn on the penis?

A friction burn occurs when the friction between the skin and another object causes enough heat to burn the skin. It’s a cross between a scrape and a heat burn, according to the Burn and Reconstructive Centers of America.

Friction burns on the penis most commonly occur due to rubbing very hard on it, which can create enough heat to burn and scrape off skin. This may occur during masturbation or sexual contact, such as foreplay or intercourse.

Using lubrication during sexual activities may help prevent friction burns, especially if you regularly engage in them.

Penile friction burns may also be caused by contact with soft materials.

For instance, if you regularly wear tight clothing, your penis can rub against the material and cause a minor friction burn. You may also get a friction burn if you dry yourself vigorously with a towel.

Tips for identification

Penile friction burns can affect any part of the penis, including the glans (head), prepuce (foreskin), shaft, and scrotum.

A minor friction burn may cause tenderness, swelling, and skin redness or other color changes. These usually only affect the epidermis, which is the top layer of skin.

In more severe penile friction burns, you may also experience:

a burning sensation
wetness
pain
blisters
charred skin
loss of sensation in the penis

It’s important to note, however, that these severe symptoms are more commonly associated with thermal burns.

If just the tip of your penis is inflamed and in pain, and you haven’t experienced any traumatic event, then it’s more likely you have balanitis. Balanitis is most commonly caused by a fungal infection or poor penile hygiene.

Other symptoms of balanitis may include:

tightened foreskin
discharge
itchiness

How do you know if it’s a friction burn or an STD?

A friction burn may cause similar symptoms to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). STDs are STIs that have developed symptoms.

For instance, skin discoloration, swelling, and a burning sensation may be symptoms of several STIs, including:

chlamydia
genital herpes
gonorrhea
syphilis
trichomoniasis

However, it’s important to note that STIs are bacterial, fungal, or viral infections transmitted through sexual contact.

Friction burns occur due to the heat produced from friction with an abrasive source. It’s possible to experience a friction burn during sexual contact. But unlike an STI, a friction burn is not caused by an infection.

Here are some other symptoms that you may have an STI and not a friction burn:

white, yellow, green, or watery discharge from your penis
pain or burning when you urinate or ejaculate
painful or swollen testicles
itching or irritation inside your penis
sores on your penis, rectum, or mouth

It’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if you experience any symptoms of friction burn or STIs. They can examine your symptoms to provide a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

»More on this:Symptoms of STDs

How to treat a friction burn on the penis

Treatment for a friction burn on the penis will depend on the severity of the burn and your symptoms.

A minor penile friction burn should heal on its own with rest within 1 week.

During this time, consider wearing loose-fitting, breathable underwear and pants in soft fabrics. You don’t want to wear anything that could rub against your penis and irritate it more.

Applying a gentle moisturizer or a prescription cream like 1% silver sulfadiazine may also help manage a burn. But it’s important to speak with a pharmacist or healthcare professional before applying any products on the penis.

The skin on your penis is more thin and sensitive than that on other body parts, so some products that can be used elsewhere may irritate the skin and even worsen the friction burn.

If you experience more severe symptoms, such as blistering, pain, pus, or a loss of penile sensation, it’s important to get medical attention. Very rarely, they may recommend debridement (removal of dead skin cells) or skin grafts (replacing dead skin with healthy skin) for severe friction burns.

You should also abstain from sexual activity and masturbation until your skin has completely healed. Resuming activity too soon could worsen your symptoms or lead to further complications.

How to prevent friction burn and other irritation

Here are several tips to help you prevent penile friction burns and other types of irritation:

Be more gentle when you masturbate or have sex. If your penis hurts, stop rubbing or ease up on the intensity.
Use a water-based lubricant or a prelubricated condom during partner sex and solo play to reduce friction. Avoid oil-based lubes, as they can make condoms break.
Keep your penis clean. Wash it every day with warm water and soap. If your foreskin is intact, gently pull it back and wash underneath. Also wash the base of your penis and testicles.
Watch for a thick, white substance under your foreskin called smegma. If it builds up, bacteria can multiply and cause balanitis.
Dry your penis thoroughly. Gently pat— don’t rub — with a towel.

If you regularly experience penile friction burns, speak with a doctor. They may recommend other prevention methods for you.

When to connect with a doctor

You can usually manage a friction burn at home, but keep an eye out for more serious symptoms.

See your doctor right away if you have:

yellow or green discharge from your penis
pain or burning when you go to the bathroom
a painful or itchy rash, blisters, or warts on your penis that don’t go away
pain during sex

The bottom line

Friction burns are usually caused by the heat produced from intense rubbing between the skin and an abrasive object.

Penile friction burns may occur during intense sexual activity or from wearing tight-fitting clothing. Symptoms may include skin discoloration, swelling, and tenderness.

If you experience a friction burn on the penis, speak with a doctor. They can help develop a treatment plan for you.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About sexually transmitted infections (STIs). (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/sti/about/index.html
Tople T, et al. (2023). Managing thermal injuries of the penis and scrotum: A narrative review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11571853/
What is a friction burn, and how do you treat it? (n.d.).https://burncenters.com/burns/burn-services/friction-burn/
Żwierełło W, et al. (2023). Burns: Classification, pathophysiology, and treatment: A narrative review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9959609/

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Medically reviewed by Kelsey Nank, PA-C — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on May 28, 2025

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