The first time I had EP (or whatever it is), a little more than a year ago, I saw a urologist (in Escondido, CA) who told me that one way that EP can be caused is by suffering tiny tears in the epididymitis that allow your tissues to be exposed to underdeveloped sperm (sperm not yet at maturity). He said that, until your sperm are mature, they are actually not recognized by your immune system as being of your own body. That, if exposed to your body (other than in the confinement of the epididymis), an immune response will result and cause irritation and inflammation that may persist for a long period.
Has anyone ever heard of this explanation? I don't recall that it has been discussed here before. If true, it could answer questions for those of us who never had any other determined cause, e.g. STD, injury, etc.
