Taking care of your genitals benefits your sexual health as well as your overall well-being.
So many factors go into taking care of your penis and testicle health. You have to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), take care of your libido and overall sexual function, practice good hygiene habits and more.
Find out what you need to know about all things regarding penis and testicle health.
The penis has a few very important jobs, and keeping your penis healthy is essential to keeping yourself healthy. When it's in good form, your penis should expel urine from your body, make it possible for you to engage in and enjoy sex, and allow you to reproduce—all without any problems or pain.
You should regularly inspect your penis visually to ensure that it looks healthy. Any abnormal symptoms that appear could signify an STI or other potentially serious underlying condition.
If you see any of these signs or symptoms on your penis, you should consult your doctor:
Practicing good hygiene is important to maintaining penis health. You should gently wash your penis under warm water—with soap—daily. If you happen to be uncircumcised, hygiene is especially important. When the penis isn't washed regularly, a cheese-like substance known as smegma can accumulate beneath the foreskin, which can lead to a foul smell, infection and more.
Uncircumcised men who don't maintain good hygiene can develop inflammation, irritation, or swelling and redness of the head of the penis, a condition called balanitis, as a result. So next time you're thinking about rushing through a shower or skipping it, remember that washing your penis—and the rest of your body, for that matter—is just as important as brushing your teeth.
The only surefire way to not contract an STI is to abstain from sex altogether. Most adults don't choose to live that way. Fortunately, there are several measures you can take to significantly lower your risk of contracting an STI.
You can protect yourself in the following ways:
Condoms don't guarantee STI prevention, but using them does significantly reduce your risk of infection. Traditional latex condoms, while effective, can cause adverse reactions in individuals with latex allergies. Fortunately, condoms that are made from different materials, such as polyurethane, polyisoprene and lambskin, are accessible.
Inspect your penis regularly for any changes in appearance, function or feeling. If you have any persistent or worrisome symptoms, or sustain any trauma to your genital area, see a healthcare professional immediately.
Some symptoms may be the result of a harmless and easily treatable condition. Others may be more serious and require early treatment to prevent complications.
Guaranteeing perfect penis health is impossible. You can, however, take several steps that will significantly increase your chances of maintaining good penis health.
These measures include the following:
People talk about the penis in any number of ways and from varying levels of authority. It seems everyone has opinions on what size and shape the appendage should be, whether it should be circumcised or not, and the list goes on.
Three common misconceptions in particular, though, need to be debunked.
Some version of "bigger is better" has been jokingly repeated in countless television shows and movies and by people in general. But in reality, for most people, it's about how you wield what you have that matters most. Many people don't favor one penis size over another—and often, people favor girth more than length anyway. It comes down to personal preference.
Despite popular misconception, the penis can be broken, even though it technically doesn't contain any bones. The penis shaft contains multiple components that help a man maintain an erection. If too much pressure is put on the shaft at the wrong angle, it can snap. When that happens, it constitutes an emergency.
Uncircumcised penises are often spoken about as if they are somehow inherently dirtier than their circumcised counterparts. In reality, if proper hygiene is practiced, the penis will be clean whether or not the foreskin is present.
The testicles, which are also called male gonads or testes, are male sex organs that produce sperm and sex hormones, such as testosterone. In most adult men, the testes are slightly smaller than a golf ball.
The testes are located inside the scrotum, which is the sac of skin that is suspended just below the base of the penis. The sex hormones produced by the testes are responsible for the development of body hair, stronger muscles and the deepening of the voice.
Spermatogenesis is a process by which sperm cells are created inside the testicles. More specifically, spermatogenesis takes place within seminiferous tubules, which number in the hundreds and are located in both testicles.
After about 74 days, sperm cells reach maturation and then are pushed to the epididymis, the tube that runs along the back of each testicle. The vas deferens, which is connected to the epididymis, is the tube through which sperm travels on its way out of the body when a man reaches sexual climax and ejaculates.
While growing old is one of the main—and unavoidable—risk factors for developing any number of conditions, testicular problems occur throughout men's lives. Testicular torsion often occurs in teenagers and testicular cancer affects younger men, with the average age at diagnosis being 33. The highest risk for testicular problems—cancer, torsion, hydroceles, epididymitis—is found in men ages 20 to 54.
Other factors that increase an individual's risk for testicular disorders include the following:
If you experience persistent or worrisome symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
Symptoms that often serve as signs of penis and testicle problems include the following:
Presence of any masses, bumps, lesions or sores
Treatment for testicular disorders depends largely on the type and severity of the condition, the symptoms an individual is experiencing, and their personal preferences.
Treatments can range from rest and medication to biopsy and chemotherapy to surgical removal of one or both testicles.
Unfortunately, there's no sure way to fully protect yourself against penis and testicular medical conditions. There are measures you can take to reduce your risk level.
Reduce your risk level by:
Most men can stay erect anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour. However, this can vary greatly from person to person as erections are impacted by many factors, such as age, physical health, sexual health, arousal, underlying conditions and more.
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet low in processed foods and carbohydrates can benefit your penis health. Additionally, some research has found eating flavonoid-rich foods may help reduce occurrences of erectile dysfunction.
You can strengthen your testicle health by exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, keeping your testicles cool to help prevent injury to sperm, and quitting smoking.
Pain or pressure in the scrotum, uncomfortable or painful sex and ejaculation, abdominal pain, bone pain and bloody semen are just a few symptoms that are signs of potential testicular problems.
Keeping your testes cool, avoiding pants that are too tight around the testicle area, eating healthy, exercising regularly, abstaining from smoking, performing monthly at-home testicular exams and practicing safer sex are just a few measures you can take to reduce your risk for testicular problems.
