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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
Are you the guy who doesn’t stop to ask for directions when you took a wrong turn two miles back? Jokes about this show up in sitcoms and stand-up routines, so there must be some truth to this stereotype. Another classic meme is the guy who buys a new Ikea bedframe but ignores the assembly manual. When it’s done, he finds two extra screws and a connecting piece. Hey, the frame looks okay so he tosses them—only to be jarred awake when his mattress falls through to the floor.
Traditional gender roles have culturally cast men as self-sufficient and sometimes stubborn problem-solvers. We want to do it our own way rather than follow directions. Of course, comedic stereotypes are exaggerated and don’t apply to everyone. But ask yourself this: if your body came with an owner’s manual, would you read it? If you found yourself with an unfamiliar health problem, would you turn to a doctor for help?
Let’s face it, compared with women, men are notorious for avoiding annual health check-ups, and ignoring symptoms. It’s one thing to poke fun at driving around aimlessly or finding extra parts after assembling furniture. But it’s no laughing matter when a guy thinks he doesn’t need to pay attention to his health just because there are no warning signs going on.
Masculinity and male pelvic health
For many men, a huge part of their maleness is connected with their sexual identity and function. And yet, they may be unaware that complex anatomic systems tucked deep in the pelvic bed are key structures linked not just his erectile function but with his total wellness. For example, the inability to have an erection, which depends on blood circulation, may be an early warning sign of heart disease. Here’s a guy focused on performance in the bedroom while his lifespan may be on the line. He’s looking for masculinity in all the wrong places!
Another possible threat to life is prostate cancer. Although male pleasure and fertility depend on the prostate, unlike a penis the gland is out of sight. It rarely makes its presence known except during sex, when it produces the seminal fluid that carries sperm out of the body during orgasm. Without a user’s manual, most men hardly know it’s there and take it for granted…until it gets into trouble. Left undetected, prostate cancer can become big trouble.
It’s estimated that 1 out of 8 men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime. It’s easy to miss, because early-stage prostate cancer has no symptoms. However, there’s a very easy, cheap way to monitor for prostate cancer: the PSA blood test. When this test is performed every year beginning at recommended ages, it’s the earliest possible way to track for a change in prostate activity.
This brings up a crucial point. The PSA test alone is not specific for prostate cancer, which is only one activity—a truly dangerous one—that can occur in the prostate gland. Much more common than cancer is a noncancerous condition that is a normal occurrence in the prostate gland, affecting 50% of men by age 60, and even more as men age. It’s an enlargement of the prostate that can cause urination problems. It can’t kill, but it can certainly interfere with quality of life—and, as the gland enlarges, it causes PSA to rise. Other prostate activity that can increase the amount of PSA in the blood includes things like infection, inflammation, riding a bike, having sex, even a doctor’s finger exam of the prostate.
So, now you know that a high PSA test result doesn’t necessarily mean prostate cancer. That’s great, but it’s no excuse for skipping an annual wellness exam and PSA blood draw! Thankfully, we now have noninvasive next steps to clarify exactly what that high PSA means. Simple biomarker tests using urine or blood can tell if cancer is present, and even how aggressive it is. Lack of awareness about prostate cancer is one reason men don’t participate in annual screening; but developing symptoms like blood in urine or pain in the hips may mean they now have incurable prostate cancer. Statistics show that men who avoid an annual PSA test are at more risk of dying from prostate cancer.
Here’s the important thing to remember: Don’t be a stereotypical guy who doesn’t ask for directions, or who thinks you can take a do-it-yourself approach to your pelvic health. If there’s a problem, it’s not going to clear up on its own. Do not skip the simple annual test that can be your best friend, because the earlier you know what’s going on, the better. Taking appropriate next steps can keep your prostate gland in its best possible shape while preserving your lifestyle.
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