Health: Prostate in a Nutshell
Photo Credits: Screengrab from Doctor Mike YouTube
So, prostate, what do you know about it? What comes to your mind when you hear the word? We are asking because well, we hear it all the time: prostate massage, prostate-induced orgasms, that if you want the ultimate male orgasm, then you should try prostate milking. Some of us even experience prostate exams as part of a routine physical screening at work (yes, those “pesky” annual physical exams conducted at our place of employment).
But, do we really know what the prostate is? Let’s take a look at this video prepared by Dr. Mike Varshavski.
Why is it important to know about these things though?
Doctor Mike says it is because knowledge empowers people to make quality healthcare decisions for themselves and their family members. Very well said, don’t you agree?
That being said, in the UK and the United States, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI NLM), around “5,000 gay men develop prostate cancer (PCa) each year; moreover, at least 50,000 gay men are PCa survivors in the United States.” While in the UK, “1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives.” Reportedly, those who are more at risk are Black men, older men, and those who have family history of prostate cancer.
For more information on prostate cancer, you may check out the links provided by Doctor Mike.
Thoughts? Share it with us in the comments section below.
Great information for us guys. Thank you!
I am hopefully a prostate cancer survivor. I had a slightly elevated PSA and difficulty urinating due to enlarged prostate. While there was medication to help with urination problem that wasn’t an answer to why there was high PSA. I was told the only way to know is to have biopsies taken which I had done. Results showed I had cancer with a Gleason score high enough to have my urologist say take it out. Surgery was a few weeks later. Now I am waiting to see an oncologist to see if I need radiation treatments to follow up. While this hasn’t been a cakewalk I decided not to die a miserable death from cancer.
Dan , I wish you well in your recovery and hope it goes well .
Do you mind me asking if you had regular yearly physicals that included prostate exams and blood tests ?
In my neck of the woods many men are reluctant to go to a Dr unless they think they really have a problem that is bothering them thanks to the terror of ‘the finger test’. Over the years I’ve been very surprised to speak to many guys who were in their 40’s who had regular physicals but still had not gotten DREs from their MDs.
I was amazed to hear this as my GP had been doing prostate exams on me since I started getting regular physicals at age 21 , and that was a long time ago. ( Must be that irresistible twinkie of mine)
Two years ago he stopped the DRE and he now relies on a blood test . There must have been big advances in the blood test in the last few years .
Again , all the best for you in a positive outcome .
To my chagrin I was diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive prostate cancer and it was ultimately treated with radiation therapy. When I asked my urologist and oncologist how destroying my prostrate would affect my enjoyment of anal sex neither one (both young guys) had a clue. Plus the hand outs they give you here in America completely ignore the issues faced by gay & bisexual men, so my recommendation is search the on-line British sites for info.
Also in hindsight if you want to have any hope of retaining sexual function immediately after either surgery or radiation you should start a daily regimen of 5 mg Cialis to keep the blood flowing to your penis. This is costly because American health insurance companies don’t cover sexual function, but my doctor suggested using a Canadian pharmacy and buying the generic version which is less costly and works just fine.
Anyway my recommendation is to have your PSA levels checked and if they are high DO YOUR HOMEWORK. There are also two excellent books about gay men and prostate cancer.
good luck Dan… hope you will have the success you are looking for… prayers be with you..
REALLY GOOD FORUM for us guys! You address a lot of issues that guys are either “too proud to ask” or embarrassed to ask, or BOTH!!! Hopefully guys will feel more comfortable talking about some of the things you bring up and/or feel more comfortable brining up and speaking with their health care provider.
Thank you for posting this and the video was great!!…
I am also a prostate cancer survivor. I didn’t have any physical problems but my PSA went up to 8. Biopsies showed cancer. I was given several treatment choices. I chose cryosurgery (freezing) because it seemed like the easiest. However, the catheter caused me some ED. A couple years later the PSA was high again. To keep the PSA score down, they convinced me to have an injection of Lupron Depot. (Think more than twice before doing this.) Although it did lower the PSA, it caused my libido to drop also. Another biopsy showed that the cancer had returned. This time it was recommended to have 45 radiation treatments in 9 weeks. My cancer is gone and my PSA is below 1.0 but I still have a low sex drive and chronic ED even with the use of viagra, cialis, levitra and numerous other mail-order pills. I was a top so I have had a tough adjustment. I tell you all this to hopefully help anyone facing the same prostate problems.