Every November you’ll see men sporting mustaches in support of men’s health awareness called Movember. One of the important issues they often bring up is prostate health. Overall health and wellness affects your sexual health and wellness. In men, prostate health can be a major factor in their sex lives. As they get older the prostate can enlarge giving rise to a number of heath problems. These health problems can then cause issues that become sexual health problems. Let’s learn more about the prostate, where it is and how it works, and how it affects sexual health. Also, what can we do it improve prostate health.
What It Is and How It Works
The prostate is a gland found in male-bodied individuals. It’s located below the bladder, in front of the rectum, and surrounds the urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder so the location of the prostate factors into certain health conditions. The gland is about the size of a walnut. It creates fluid that supports and nourishes sperm. During ejaculation, the prostate squeezes fluid through the urethra and the expelled fluid mixes with sperm coming from the testicles via the vasa differentia and seminal vesicle fluid to become semen. The prostate functions are regulated by testosterones. The milky white alkaline fluid, which houses the sperm, helps to neutralize the acidity of the vaginal track. It helps to prolong the life of the sperm and protect the genetic material they contain.
When Things Go Wrong
While you can live without a prostate, it is necessary for reproduction. This also means that when there are problems with the prostate it can contribute to sexual dysfunction. The most common problem is an enlarged prostate or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). As male-bodied persons age, the prostate enlarges. It can go from the walnut size to an apricot size and eventually to the size of a lemon by retirement age. If you recall earlier I mentioned the prostate surrounds the urethra. An enlarged prostate affects the urethra first. The larger it gets the tighter the grip making urination difficult and can contribute to erectile dysfunction. People with BPH may find they have a decrease in their sex drive, feeling less satisfaction sexually and difficulty maintain or getting an erection. There is also an infection one can get that will cause inflammation of the prostate called prostatitis. This can cause the same symptoms as BPH but can be treated with an antibiotic. Don’t worry, it’s not contagious and can’t be sexually transmitted. Prostate cancer can also trigger sexual dysfunction and treatment could mean the removal of the prostate. Thankfully, orgasms are still possible with the removal of the prostate.
Maintain The Prostate
Taking care of the prostate can help prevent or minimize problems in the future. Regular check ups can help to detect issues early. Taking measures early can often either prevent a worse condition or get it maintained before it’s really uncomfortable. A DRE or digital rectal exam is most common. When I originally saw the word digital it took me a minute to realize they meant digit as in finger! I’ve always heard people complain about the gloved finger exam but a relatively short moment of discomfort could prevent future health problems. There are other screenings available like the PSA or prostate-specific antigen test, which is a blood test. Unfortunately, it is often not conclusive and remains controversial as a cancer-screening test. Regular exercise and eating a balance diet can help with prostate health too, along with overall health. A recent study found that frequent ejaculation might lead to lower instance of prostate cancer and good for the prostate’s overall health. While it’s not entirely conclusive, activating the prostate through sex or masturbation may be helping your health. Another way to activate the prostate is through prostate stimulation.
Stimulate The Prostate – Manually
Prostate massage is manually stimulating the prostate, also known as prostate milking, using a finger (digits in a good way!), a specific prostate stimulating toy or if engaging in anal sex using a penis or dildo. You can massage yourself or have a partner help you. Applying pressure to the prostate and stimulating it can cause a p-spot orgasm that can for some be quite intense. You can use your finger (several fingers to anal fisting can be used too) but care needs to be taken in this delicate area. I highly recommend you use a high quality surgical glove, you can find them in latex and latex free nitrile. If you opt for no gloves, make sure your nails are trimmed and you’re hands are clean. Lightly cleaning the anal area and rectum (no enema needed please!) will help too. Using a good quality paraben and glycerin free lube is necessary too. You want to slowly enter past the sphincter and into the rectum to gently massage the prostate from within. Take your time and really communicate with your partner. Your partner may find they orgasm but don’t ejaculate, this can happen. Since the p-spot orgasm can be very intense, make time for after care if they may find it a little overwhelming or need time to recover. Be sure to clean up well afterward.
Stimulate The Prostate – Toys
While anal sex with a penis is quite effective not everyone is into that. You can try different types of toys to use instead. It’s a nice alternative to manual stimulation. There are prostate massagers and dildos from many different companies like LELO, Jopen, and Fun Factory. Njoy makes great metal toys out of medical grade stainless steel and I’ve known many people to find them great for anal play. There are glass toys and even wood prostate stimulators out there. One brand I highly recommend is Aneros. They’re famous for their massagers and they have many to choose from like the Helix Syn, the MGX Classic and the Progasm Jr. A g-spot dildo will often work but there are some p-spot specific dildos out there too. You can use a dildo in your hand or find the right one for a strap-on harness and try pegging.
Doctors, Research and Classes
If you’re unsure about diving into prostate massage there are some great resources out there to help you along. The Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure by Charlie Glickman and Aislinn Emirzian, and The Adventurous Couples Guide to Strap-on Sex by Violet Blue are great books to check out, as are the DVDs The Expert Guide to Anal Pleasure For Men by Tristan Taormino and Dr Ava’s Guide to Prostate Pleasure. Check your local sex shop for classes. Also, when it comes to your health make sure to talk to your doctor. Several websites like WebMD.com, harvardprostateknowledge.org and naturalprostate.com can help but having an open dialogue with your health care provider will provide you will information that directly relates to your body and your level of health. Don’t neglect routine office visits. Taking care of your health will help keep you sexy for years to come.
By: Technogeisha
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