Prostate Health

Prostate health – The prostate is a variable sized gland located in the male pelvis, usually the size of a walnut measuring 3-4 centimeters long by 3-5 centimeters in width.

On average, the gland weighs about 20 grams. It is found behind the pubic bone, in front of the rectum, and below the bladder, surrounded by the pelvic muscles. The prostate surrounds the urethra which carries urine from the bladder to the penis and travels in the center of the gland.

The seminal vesicles attach to the prostate and produce material that mixes with prostate fluid to form semen. The tubes from the testicles carry sperm to the prostate where the sperm are mixed with the prostate and seminal vesicle fluid.

This fluid is then ejaculated during orgasm by a connection to the urethra called the ejaculatory ducts.

BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a condition in which the flow of urine is blocked due to the enlargement of the prostate gland. The symptoms include increased frequency urination at night and difficulty in urinating. Prostate health issues affect about 4 million men in the US every year and over a million in the UK.

Prostate health issues can lead to prostate cancer which is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 41 will die of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, more than 3.1 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today.