Painful urination in women is often caused by urinary tract infections. In men, it's frequently caused by urethritis and prostate problems. Other common causes of painful urination include sexually transmitted infections, genital herpes, bladder and kidney stones, and soaps, perfumes, and other personal care products that irritate.

Medical conditions and other factors that can cause painful urination include:

1. Bladder stones
2. Cervicitis
3. Chlamydia trachomatis
4. Cystitis (irritation of the bladder)
5. Genital herpes
6. Gonorrhea
7. Having a recent urinary tract procedure done, including any that used urologic tools for testing or treatment
8. Interstitial cystitis — also called painful bladder syndrome, a condition that affects the bladder and sometimes causes pelvic pain.
9. Kidney infection (also called pyelonephritis)
10. Kidney stones (hard objects that form due to chemicals in urine)
11. Medicines, such as those used in cancer treatment, that can irritate the bladder as a side effect
12. Prostatitis
13. Reactive arthritis
14. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
15. Soaps, perfumes and other personal care products
16. Urethral stricture
17. Urethritis (infection of the urethra)
18. Urinary tract infection (UTI)
19. Vaginitis
20. Yeast infection (vaginal)