All About The Penis

The prostate gland

I don't know much about my prostate. I've never seen it. I have used a few toys and the odd finger to stimulate it. I did this because massaging the prostate can feel good and make a man's orgasms much more powerful.

People have called the prostate the male g-spot, perhaps because it comes from the same patch of embryonic tissue as the female g-spot (an area of nerve endings and sensitive tissue on the front inside wall of the vagina); perhaps because it can reputedly stimulate orgasm if it is massaged, much like the vaginal g-spot can. The problem is, if you are a bit squeamish about hygiene and anal play during sex, putting your own or someone else's finger up inside your rectum can be off-putting. You need to have an open mind about such things. But with a bit of care, the hygiene isn't a problem - and you can always use latex gloves.

The truth, though, for me, is that although having my prostate stimulated does feel good, especially with a suitable anal vibrator on the job, I was never able to come through prostate massage alone, as some men claim they can, and when I did come, the prostate stimulation seemed to be a distraction and in a way spoilt the orgasm itself. This was true even when the massage - well, gentle rubbing, really - was being done by a willing partner. So I remain ambivalent about it. But it's nice to know these things. If you want to try, you'll be able to feel it through the front wall of your rectum just above your anal passage. Be careful and gentle, because everything round there is deserving of respect, especially your gut, which can easily bleed if you are too rough with it. And remember that hepatitis, if you happen to be a carrier, is associated with the waste matter in the gut. Caution at all times is advisable! And safe sex is a good idea, too.

There's no doubt some men find stimulation of the prostate very sexy. I remember at University meeting a Christian who claimed he never masturbated because of his religious beliefs. When a friend asked him what he did with all his sexual energy, he replied that sometimes when he went for a shit, he had a spontaneous ejaculation. This musty have been because of the faecal matter pressing on his prostate as it passed through his rectum - the prostate is full of nerves associated with ejaculation and sexual arousal in men. That has always struck me as a sad story. Masturbation and ejaculation surely are meant to be fun things?

What else do I know about my prostate? So far it has been trouble-free, which is pleasing, though as a man, the odds of it remaining so for the rest of my life aren't great. (Prostatitis.org has some information on this.) I know it produces fluid which sperm swim in and which I ejaculate fairly frequently. The purpose of the prostate is to ensure reproductive success: it makes those sperm feel comfortable in the rather harsh - acidic, actually - environment of the vagina. And it gives me the pleasure of producing a load of ejaculate after I have been sexually aroused for any length of time (like after two hours' kissing and being generally excited with my beloved, there seems to be a bucket load of ejaculate); the same is true if I haven't ejaculated for several days. Obviously, the prostate gets busy producing seminal fluid in response to sexual stimulation, or stores it up in response to abstinence. That's fine, of course, and quite sexy, too, if you want to ejaculate over someone. But things can go wrong.

The prostate is the weak spot of the male reproductive system. A gland about the size of a walnut, responsible for producing most of the seminal fluid, its secretions are important to increase the chances of fertilization of the egg. And yet, because of its location at the junction of the urethra and the seminal vesicles, if it gets infected, inflamed, swollen, or, worse yet, cancerous, it can interfere with both urination and sexual function. The main problems are cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis. Any man over 40 years old needs to have a regular check-up on his prostate (some experts say 50, but I think "better safe than sorry").

My uncle had his first prostate exam the other day. And it was OK, he tells me. As an experience it probably isn't as bad as the regular cervical smears that women have to go through. Lying on his side, knees hunched up, the doctor inserted a gloved, lubed finger, had a swift feel around just inside the rectum, and that was it. Not by any means a bad experience. And certainly not as bad as dying of prostate cancer. Ah ha! I hear you say, that's an old man's disease, I don't need to bother getting checked.

Maybe, maybe not.

Prostate Cancer

Cancer of the prostate is the most common male cancer affecting British men with the average lifetime risk of occurrence being about 1 in 12.

Although many important developments in treatment have occurred in recent years, over 10,000 men die from prostate cancer annually in the UK.

This is approximately equal to 190 deaths per week and it is estimated that this number will triple over the next 20 years.

In contrast to some other types of cancer, cancer of the prostate can be treated fairly effectively even when it has spread. It is however important to catch the disease at the earliest possible stages as this may increase the number of treatment options available.

From The UK Prostate Cancer Charity

Another test which is used to diagnose the disease in its early stages is the PSA test (prostate specific antigen). This is done with a simple blood test, although it is often combined with a rectal exam designed to check the size, shape and texture of the prostate gland. This is especially useful as the disease may grow for a while before it becomes apparent in symptoms of difficult urination, pain, poor urine flow, dribbling, or having to urinate frequently. The thing about prostate cancer is that it can be treated if it is caught early. So an annual check up from the age of 40 onwards isn't a bad idea.

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