{"id":3006,"date":"2025-06-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/mens-health-101\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T15:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T14:03:15","slug":"mens-health-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/mens-health-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Men\u2019s Health 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n\/* The accent is a light-background device. 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Its own phone padding, because a\n   Gutenberg group's inline padding has no breakpoint: on a phone it takes the\n   figure frame's treatment (20px 14px, 16px radius, 12px out each side), since\n   the live column at 360px is only about 250px wide and the panel's 22px 18px\n   left 178px of text. *\/\n.ra-sv{background:#f1f6f6;border:1.5px solid #d9e7e6;border-radius:20px;padding:34px 38px}\n.ra-sv .k{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;line-height:1.4;color:#15474d;margin:0 0 12px}\n.ra-sv ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}\n.ra-sv li{display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr);gap:0 16px;align-items:start;margin:0;padding:13px 0;border-top:1px solid #d9e7e6;\n  font-size:clamp(17px,calc(1.3vw + 6.5px),18.5px);line-height:1.6;color:#2a2622}\n.ra-sv li:first-child{border-top:0;padding-top:2px}\n.ra-sv li:last-child{padding-bottom:0}\n.ra-sv .d{display:block;width:9px;height:9px;border-radius:50%;background:#1d5f66;margin-top:calc(.8em - 4.5px)}\n.ra-sv li p{margin:0;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit;color:inherit}\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-sv li{gap:0 10px;font-size:17px}}\n@media(max-width:520px){.ra-sv{padding:20px 14px;border-radius:16px;margin:0}}\n\n\/* ---- shared figure furniture ---- *\/\n.ra-fig{margin:0;background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:22px;padding:clamp(20px,3.2vw,34px)}\n.ra-fig .hd{margin:0 0 18px}\n.ra-fig .ti{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1d5f66;margin:0 0 6px}\n.ra-fig .q{font-size:clamp(17.5px,calc(1.55vw + 4.5px),22px);font-weight:600;line-height:1.35;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n.ra-fig figcaption{font-size:15.5px;line-height:1.6;color:#6b6259;margin:22px 0 0;padding-top:16px;border-top:1px solid #e8e1d5}\n.ra-fig figcaption b{color:#2a2622;font-weight:600}\n.ra-seg{display:inline-flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:4px;padding:4px;background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:999px}\n.ra-seg button{font:600 14.5px\/1.2 \"Work Sans\",sans-serif;border:0;border-radius:999px;padding:8px 16px;cursor:pointer;background:none;color:#6b6259;transition:background .18s ease,color .18s ease}\n.ra-seg button:hover{color:#2a2622}\n.ra-seg button[aria-pressed=true]{background:#1d5f66;color:#fff}\n@media(max-width:520px){.ra-seg{gap:2px;padding:3px}.ra-seg button{font-size:13px;padding:8px 9px;white-space:nowrap}}\n.ra-fig button:focus-visible,.ra-fig input:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #1d5f66;outline-offset:2px}\n\n\/* ---- the hormone key ---- *\/\n.ra-hk{display:grid;gap:12px;margin:0 0 30px}\n.ra-hk .row{display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr);gap:0 16px;background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:16px;padding:18px 22px}\n.ra-hk .sw{width:14px;height:14px;border-radius:50%;margin-top:7px}\n.ra-hk .nm{font-size:clamp(19px,2vw,21px);font-weight:700;line-height:1.35;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n.ra-hk .nm abbr{display:inline-block;text-decoration:none;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;color:#1d5f66;background:#e9f3f3;border-radius:6px;padding:2px 8px;margin-left:10px;vertical-align:3px}\n.ra-hk .fr{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#6b6259;margin:4px 0 8px}\n.ra-hk .t{font-size:clamp(17px,calc(1.3vw + 6.5px),19px);line-height:1.62;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-hk .row{grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr);padding:16px}.ra-hk .sw{display:inline-block;margin:0 0 8px}.ra-hk .t{font-size:17.5px}}\n\n\/* ---- her asides: her own voice, in brackets, italic and muted ---- *\/\n.eqp .ra-aside{font-style:italic;color:#6b6259}\n.eqp h3.wp-block-heading,.eqp .ra-fig .q,.eqp .ra-faq summary,.eqp .ra-sc .h{text-wrap:balance}\n.eqp .ra-part .sb,.eqp .mhp-hint,.eqp .ra-sz .rd,.eqp li{text-wrap:pretty}\n.eqp .ra-dr li,.eqp .ra-sv li,.eqp .ra-hk .t,.eqp .ra-ff .t,.eqp .ra-an .card .t,.eqp .ra-sc .t,.eqp .ra-fig figcaption{text-wrap:pretty}\n@media(max-width:640px){.eqp .ra-ff p.t{font-size:1rem}}\n\n\/* ---- fun fact ---- *\/\n.ra-ff{display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr);gap:4px 16px;align-items:start;background:#fff;border:1.5px dashed #f0cdb3;\n  border-radius:18px;padding:20px 24px}\n.ra-ff .mk{grid-row:1\/3;width:40px;height:40px;border-radius:50%;background:#fcf0e6;color:#98461c;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center}\n.ra-ff .mk svg{width:22px;height:22px}\n.ra-ff .k{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#98461c;margin:2px 0 4px}\n.ra-ff .t{font-size:clamp(14px,calc(10.2px + .62vw),18px);line-height:1.6;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-ff{grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr);padding:18px}.ra-ff .mk{grid-row:auto;width:34px;height:34px}}\n\n\/* ---- figure 1: the anatomy ---- *\/\n.ra-an .ctl{margin:0 0 16px;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;gap:10px 14px}\n.ra-an .route{font:600 14.5px\/1.2 \"Work Sans\",sans-serif;border-radius:999px;padding:9px 16px;cursor:pointer;border:1.5px solid #f0cdb3;\n  background:#fcf0e6;color:#72340f}\n.ra-an .route:hover{border-color:#c26a2f}\n.ra-an .lay{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1.1fr) minmax(0,1fr);gap:24px;align-items:start}\n@media(max-width:820px){.ra-an .lay{grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr)}}\n\/* laptop: the drawing gets the wider column and a larger frame *\/\n@media(min-width:1024px){.ra-an .lay{grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1.4fr) minmax(0,1fr)}.ra-an .dia{max-width:640px}.ra-an .dia svg{max-width:640px}}\n.ra-an .view[hidden]{display:none}\n.ra-an svg{display:block;width:100%;max-width:520px;height:auto;margin:0 auto}\n.ra-an svg .hit{cursor:pointer;transition:opacity .2s ease,filter .2s ease}\n.ra-an svg .hit:hover{filter:brightness(.96)}\n.ra-an .view.picked svg .hit{opacity:.38}\n.ra-an .view.picked svg .hit.on{opacity:1}\n.ra-an .dia{position:relative;max-width:520px;margin:0 auto}\n.ra-an .lead line{stroke:#b9b0a4;stroke-width:1.2;vector-effect:non-scaling-stroke}\n.ra-an .lab{position:absolute;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:13.5px;line-height:1.2;color:#6b6259;white-space:nowrap;\n  background:rgba(255,255,255,.85);padding:1px 4px;border-radius:4px;transition:color .2s ease}\n.ra-an .lab.on{color:#1d5f66;font-weight:700}\n.ra-an .lab.c{transform:translate(-50%,-100%)}\n\/* this drawing has more parts in less room: on small phones the chips and the card carry the names *\/\n@media(max-width:640px){.ra-an .lab,.ra-an .lead{display:none}}\n\/* phones: one label on the drawing, set by the script beside the chosen part *\/\n.ra-an .lead{pointer-events:none}\n.ra-an .lead circle{fill:#4a4540}\n.ra-an .plab{pointer-events:none}\n.ra-an .plab line{stroke:#1d5f66;stroke-width:1.6;vector-effect:non-scaling-stroke}\n.ra-an .plab circle{fill:#1d5f66}\n.ra-an .plab rect{fill:#fff;fill-opacity:.95;stroke:#1d5f66;stroke-width:1.3;vector-effect:non-scaling-stroke}\n.ra-an .plab text{font-family:\"Work Sans\",sans-serif;font-weight:700;fill:#1d5f66}\n@media(min-width:641px){.ra-an .plab{display:none}}\n.ra-an .where{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;max-width:320px;margin:12px 0 0;\n  background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:14px;padding:8px 12px 8px 8px}\n.ra-an .where svg{width:40px;height:auto;flex:0 0 auto}\n.ra-an .where span{font-size:12px;line-height:1.35;color:#6b6259}\n.ra-an .where span b{display:block;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1d5f66;margin:0 0 2px}\n\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-an .lab{font-size:12px;line-height:1.15;padding:0 2px;white-space:normal;width:max-content;max-width:56px}.ra-an .lab.l{text-align:right}}\n.ra-an .chips{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:7px;margin:14px 0 0}\n.ra-an .chips button{font:500 14.5px\/1.2 \"Work Sans\",sans-serif;border-radius:999px;padding:7px 13px;cursor:pointer;\n  border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;background:#fff;color:#2a2622;transition:background .16s ease,border-color .16s ease}\n.ra-an .chips button:hover{background:#e9f3f3}\n.ra-an .chips button[aria-pressed=true]{background:#1d5f66;border-color:#1d5f66;color:#fff;font-weight:600}\n.ra-an .card{background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:16px;padding:22px 24px;min-height:220px}\n.ra-an .card .nm{font-family:\"Playfair Display\",Georgia,serif;font-size:clamp(23px,2.4vw,27px);font-weight:700;line-height:1.2;color:#2a2622;margin:0 0 4px}\n.ra-an .card .al{font-size:14px;color:#6b6259;margin:0 0 14px}\n.ra-an .card .k{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1d5f66;margin:14px 0 5px}\n.ra-an .card .t{font-size:16.5px;line-height:1.6;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n.ra-an .card .mx{background:#fcf0e6;border-radius:10px;padding:12px 14px;margin:16px 0 0;font-size:15.5px;line-height:1.55;color:#72340f}\n.ra-an .card .mx b{display:block;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;margin:0 0 4px}\n.ra-an .card .mx[hidden]{display:none}\n\n\/* ---- figure 3: where do you fall ---- *\/\n.ra-sz .ctl{margin:0 0 14px}\n.ra-sz .plot{position:relative}\n.ra-sz svg{display:block;width:100%;height:200px}\n.ra-sz .cv{stroke-width:2;vector-effect:non-scaling-stroke;transition:opacity .3s ease}\n.ra-sz .cv.e{fill:#e9f3f3;stroke:#1d5f66}\n.ra-sz .cv.f{fill:#fcf0e6;stroke:#c26a2f}\n.ra-sz[data-v=erect] .cv.f{opacity:.18}\n.ra-sz[data-v=flaccid] .cv.e{opacity:.18}\n.ra-sz .mk{stroke:#2a2622;stroke-width:2;vector-effect:non-scaling-stroke}\n.ra-sz .tks{position:relative;height:18px;margin:6px 0 0}\n.ra-sz .tks span{position:absolute;transform:translateX(-50%);font-size:12.5px;color:#6b6259;font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums}\n.ra-sz .ax{font-size:13px;color:#6b6259;text-align:center;margin:4px 0 0}\n.ra-sz .sl{margin:16px 0 0}\n.ra-sz .sl label{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;font-size:14.5px;color:#6b6259;margin:0 0 8px}\n.ra-sz .sl label b{color:#1d5f66;font-variant-numeric:tabular-nums}\n.ra-sz input[type=range]{width:100%;accent-color:#1d5f66;height:28px;margin:0}\n.ra-sz .rd{margin:14px 0 0;background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:14px;padding:14px 18px;font-size:16.5px;line-height:1.6;color:#2a2622}\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-sz svg{height:150px}}\n\n\/* ---- figure 4: a quick check ---- *\/\n.ra-sc ol{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0;display:grid;gap:10px;counter-reset:none}\n.ra-sc li{display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr);gap:14px;align-items:start;background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:14px;padding:14px 18px;margin:0}\n.ra-sc .n{width:34px;height:34px;border-radius:50%;background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #bcd7d8;color:#1d5f66;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;\n  font-family:\"Playfair Display\",Georgia,serif;font-weight:800;font-size:17px}\n.ra-sc .h{font-size:17px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.35;color:#2a2622;margin:4px 0 4px}\n.ra-sc .t{font-size:16px;line-height:1.55;color:#2a2622;margin:0}\n\n\/* ---- the questions (part five): one card each, a berry question mark, the\n   answer on warm paper under a rule ---- *\/\n.ra-faq{display:grid;gap:12px;margin:0 0 30px}\n.ra-faq details{background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:18px;overflow:hidden;transition:border-color .2s ease,box-shadow .2s ease}\n.ra-faq details:hover{border-color:#bcd7d8}\n.ra-faq details[open]{border-color:#bcd7d8;box-shadow:0 10px 26px rgba(29,95,102,.08)}\n.ra-faq summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr) auto;align-items:center;gap:16px;\n  padding:18px 20px;font-size:clamp(18px,1.9vw,20px);font-weight:600;line-height:1.4;color:#2a2622}\n.ra-faq summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}\n.ra-faq summary:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #1d5f66;outline-offset:-4px;border-radius:18px}\n.ra-faq .qb{position:relative;display:block;width:46px;height:42px;transform-origin:30% 90%}\n.ra-faq .qb svg{position:absolute;inset:0;width:100%;height:100%;overflow:visible}\n.ra-faq .qb path{fill:#fcf0e6;stroke:#f0cdb3;stroke-width:1.6;transition:fill .25s ease,stroke .25s ease}\n.ra-faq .qb i{position:absolute;left:0;right:0;top:3px;text-align:center;font-style:normal;font-family:\"Playfair Display\",Georgia,serif;\n  font-size:23px;font-weight:800;line-height:1.3;color:#98461c;transform:rotate(-9deg)}\n.ra-faq .qb .x{display:none;color:#1d5f66;transform:rotate(6deg)}\n.ra-faq details[open] .qb path{fill:#e9f3f3;stroke:#bcd7d8}\n.ra-faq details[open] .qb .q{display:none}\n.ra-faq details[open] .qb .x{display:block}\n.ra-faq summary:hover .qb{animation:raWig .55s ease}\n@keyframes raWig{0%,100%{transform:rotate(0)}30%{transform:rotate(-9deg)}65%{transform:rotate(6deg)}}\n@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.ra-faq summary:hover .qb{animation:none}}\n.ra-faq summary .pl{width:30px;height:30px;border-radius:50%;border:1.5px solid #bcd7d8;color:#1d5f66;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;transition:transform .2s ease,background .2s ease}\n.ra-faq summary .pl svg{width:12px;height:12px}\n.ra-faq details[open] summary .pl{transform:rotate(45deg);background:#e9f3f3}\n.ra-faq .an{background:#faf8f3;border-top:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;padding:18px 24px 20px 74px}\n.ra-faq .an p{font-size:clamp(17px,calc(1.3vw + 6.5px),18.5px);line-height:1.66;color:#2a2622;margin:0 0 12px}\n.ra-faq .an p:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n@media(max-width:560px){.ra-faq summary{gap:12px;padding:16px}.ra-faq .qb{width:38px;height:35px}.ra-faq .qb i{font-size:19px;top:2px}.ra-faq .an{padding:16px}.ra-faq .an p{font-size:17.5px}}\n.ra-faq .all{display:flex;justify-content:flex-end;margin:0 0 2px}\n.ra-faq .all button{font:600 14.5px\/1.2 \"Work Sans\",sans-serif;border:0;background:none;color:#1d5f66;cursor:pointer;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;padding:6px 4px}\n\n\/* ---- when to talk to a doctor: tiles, one small icon each ---- *\/\n.ra-dr{background:#faf8f3;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:22px;padding:26px 28px;margin:4px 0 32px}\n.ra-dr .k{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.16em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1d5f66;margin:0 0 16px}\n.ra-dr ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0;display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(2,minmax(0,1fr));gap:10px}\n@media(max-width:640px){.ra-dr ul{grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr)}.ra-dr{padding:20px 16px}}\n.ra-dr li p{margin:0}\n.ra-dr li{display:grid;grid-template-columns:auto minmax(0,1fr);gap:12px;align-items:center;background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #e8e1d5;border-radius:14px;\n  padding:14px 16px;margin:0;font-size:17px;line-height:1.45;color:#2a2622}\n.ra-dr li .i{width:36px;height:36px;border-radius:10px;background:#e9f3f3;color:#1d5f66;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center}\n.ra-dr li .i svg{width:20px;height:20px}\n\n@media(max-width:520px){.ra-fig{padding:20px 14px;border-radius:16px;margin:0 -12px!important}}\n@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.ra-fig *,.ra-faq *{transition:none!important}}\n@media print{.ra-seg,.ra-an .chips,.ra-faq .all{display:none!important}.ra-faq details{display:block}}\n@media(max-width:480px){.eqp ol.wp-block-list{padding-left:18px}.eqp ol.wp-block-list li{overflow-wrap:anywhere}}\n\n\/* phone tap targets: 44px minimum (added, phone only) *\/\n@media(max-width:899px){.ra-seg button,.ra-an .chips button,.ra-an .route,.ra-faq .all button{min-height:44px}}\n\/* S8: the anatomy drop-down, phone only *\/\n.ra-an .mob{display:none}\n.ra-an .mob label{display:block;font-size:12.5px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#1d5f66;margin:0 0 8px}\n.ra-an .ra-sel{display:block;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;min-height:52px;font:600 16px\/1.3 \"Work Sans\",sans-serif;color:#2a2622;background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #1d5f66;border-radius:12px;padding:12px 44px 12px 16px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;-webkit-appearance:none;appearance:none;background-image:linear-gradient(45deg,transparent 50%,#1d5f66 50%),linear-gradient(135deg,#1d5f66 50%,transparent 50%);background-position:calc(100% - 22px) 50%,calc(100% - 16px) 50%;background-size:6px 6px,6px 6px;background-repeat:no-repeat}\n.ra-an .ra-sel:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #1d5f66;outline-offset:2px}\n@media(max-width:640px){.ra-an .chips{display:none}.ra-an .mob{display:block;margin:14px 0 0}}\n@media print{.ra-an .mob{display:none!important}}\n\n.eqp h3.wp-block-heading,.eqp .ra-fig .q,.eqp .ra-sc .h{text-wrap:pretty}<\/style><style>\n\/* ---- glossary popups ---- *\/\n\n\/* THE PAGE MUST NOT SCROLL SIDEWAYS BECAUSE OF A CARD NOBODY CAN SEE. A hidden\n   absolutely positioned box still extends the scrollable width, and a card\n   centred on a word near the right edge hangs off it until the script nudges it\n   back. The script does that on load, but \"on load\" is a moving target: web\n   fonts reflow the line after it, and the sleep article was still scrolling\n   41px sideways at 720px on some loads and not others.\n\n   overflow-x:clip settles it without depending on timing at all. Not hidden:\n   clip does not make this a scroll container, so anything sticky inside keeps\n   sticking and overflow-y stays visible. The clip edge is the page box, and a\n   320px card centred on a word inside the measure column has a couple of\n   hundred pixels of slack before it can reach that edge, so on a desktop it\n   never clips anything; on a narrow screen the clip edge is the viewport, which\n   is where the script is putting the card anyway. *\/\n.eqp{overflow-x:clip}\n\n\/* A dotted underline under a term that is usually already italic: quiet enough\n   to ignore, and different enough from a link to never be mistaken for one. *\/\n.eqp .gl{position:relative;display:inline;border-bottom:1.5px dotted #f0cdb3;\n  cursor:help;outline:none}\n.eqp .gl:focus-visible{outline:2px solid var(--eqp-accent);outline-offset:3px;\n  border-radius:3px}\n\n.eqp .gd{position:absolute;left:50%;bottom:calc(100% + 12px);z-index:40;\n  width:min(320px,78vw);box-sizing:border-box;\n  \/* THE NUDGE IS A MARGIN, NOT PART OF THE TRANSFORM. It used to ride inside\n     translateX as calc(-50% + var(--sx)), and the variable never took effect:\n     the script set --sx correctly, the sheet shipped correctly, and the\n     computed transform stayed at a flat -50% regardless. Measured on the live\n     page with the compositor running and a control element proving transform\n     itself worked, cards still sat 54 to 61px off the left edge of a 390px\n     screen. margin-left is a layout property, it resolves the variable, and it\n     put every card exactly where the script had calculated. *\/\n  transform:translateX(-50%) translateY(4px);margin-left:var(--sx,0px);\n  opacity:0;visibility:hidden;pointer-events:none;\n  background:#fff;border:1.5px solid var(--eqp-line2);border-radius:12px;\n  box-shadow:0 10px 30px rgba(20,30,40,.14);padding:14px 16px;\n  font-family:\"Work Sans\",sans-serif;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.55;\n  font-style:normal;font-weight:400;color:var(--eqp-body);text-align:left;\n  transition:opacity .16s ease,transform .16s ease}\n.eqp .gd b{display:block;font-family:\"Work Sans\",sans-serif;font-size:12px;\n  font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.13em;text-transform:uppercase;\n  color:var(--eqp-muted);margin:0 0 6px}\n\/* The pointer, a rotated square sitting half outside the card. 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aria-hidden=\"true\"><i><\/i><\/div><nav id=\"eqp-parts\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><a href=\"#part-1\" data-i=\"1\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">Where everything is<\/span><\/a><a href=\"#part-2\" data-i=\"2\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">The messengers<\/span><\/a><a href=\"#part-3\" data-i=\"3\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">What counts as normal<\/span><\/a><a href=\"#part-4\" data-i=\"4\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">Mind and body<\/span><\/a><a href=\"#part-5\" data-i=\"5\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">Everything you were too afraid to ask<\/span><\/a><a href=\"#part-6\" data-i=\"6\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"dot\"><\/span><span class=\"lbl\">Checking in with your body<\/span><\/a><\/nav><button id=\"eqp-top\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Back to the top of the article\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" 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#1d5f66;outline-offset:2px}\n.mhp-pl-k{position:relative;flex:0 0 auto;width:30px;height:18px;box-sizing:border-box;border-radius:999px;background:#fff;border:1.5px solid #6b9a9f}\n.mhp-pl-k::after{content:\"\";position:absolute;top:2px;left:2px;width:11px;height:11px;border-radius:50%;background:#6b9a9f}\n.mhp-pill[aria-checked=true]{background:#1d5f66;border-color:#1d5f66;color:#fff}\n.mhp-pill[aria-checked=true] .mhp-pl-k{background:#fff;border-color:#fff}\n.mhp-pill[aria-checked=true] .mhp-pl-k::after{left:14px;background:#1d5f66}\n@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mhp-pill,.mhp-pill.mhp-pill-on,.mhp-segb{transition:none!important}}\n@media print{.mhp-seg,.mhp-hint,.mhp-pill{display:none!important}}\n\/* the back to top button (house chrome) sits one pill higher so the two never overlap *\/\n#eqp-top{right:max(16px,env(safe-area-inset-right))!important;bottom:calc(max(16px,env(safe-area-inset-bottom)) + 54px)!important}\n\/*>*\/<\/style>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull eqp mhp-post has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69fa9525 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding:0px 22px\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<div style=\"color:#6b6259;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;margin-top:54px;margin-bottom:0\" class=\"has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-post-date has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\"><time datetime=\"2025-06-24T10:00:00+02:00\">24 lipnja, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n\n<div style=\"color:#6b6259;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\" class=\"taxonomy-category has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-post-terms has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\"><a href=\"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/category\/too-afraid-to-ask\/\" rel=\"tag\">Everything You Were Too Afraid to Ask<\/a><span class=\"wp-block-post-terms__separator\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/category\/mens-health\/\" rel=\"tag\">Men&#8217;s Health<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family ra-series wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:24px;margin-bottom:0;font-size:12.5px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.2em;line-height:1.4\">Everything you were too afraid to ask<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-playfair-display-font-family\" id=\"top\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:16px;font-size:clamp(26.944px, 1.684rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 2.165), 46px);font-style:normal;font-weight:800;line-height:1.12\">Men&#8217;s Health 101<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#524a42;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:22px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.55\">Where everything is and the route sperm takes, how the brain and the testes talk to each other, what counts as normal, how the mind and the body affect each other, plain answers to the questions men rarely ask out loud, and how to check in with your own body<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eq-credit\" style=\"--eq-credit-ac:#1d5f66\">Written by <a href=\"\/our-team-ivana\/\" rel=\"author\">Ivana<\/a>, psychologist and psychotherapist<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px\"><div class=\"mhp-swbox mhp-keep\" id=\"mhp-swbox\"><div class=\"mhp-metarow\"><p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-metat\" style=\"color:#6b6259;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5\"><span class=\"mhp-mtw\"><span class=\"mhp-mt-f\"><strong style=\"color:#1d5f66\">31 minute read<\/strong> &nbsp;&middot;&nbsp; 6,983 words<\/span><span class=\"mhp-mt-p\"><strong style=\"color:#1d5f66\">26 minute read<\/strong> &nbsp;&middot;&nbsp; 5,796 words<\/span><\/span><\/p><div class=\"mhp-seg\" id=\"mhp-seg\" role=\"radiogroup\" aria-label=\"Reading version\" aria-describedby=\"mhp-sw-h\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mhp-segb\" id=\"mhp-seg-full\" role=\"radio\" aria-checked=\"true\" tabindex=\"0\">Detailed<\/button><button type=\"button\" class=\"mhp-segb\" id=\"mhp-seg-plain\" role=\"radio\" aria-checked=\"false\" tabindex=\"-1\">Plain words<\/button><\/div><\/div><p class=\"mhp-hint\" id=\"mhp-sw-h\">Detailed explains the research and the reasons behind each point. Plain words gives the same main points in short, everyday language. Safety advice and emergency steps are the same in both.<\/p><button type=\"button\" class=\"mhp-pill\" id=\"mhp-pill\" role=\"switch\" aria-checked=\"false\"><span class=\"mhp-pl-t\">Plain words<\/span><span class=\"mhp-pl-k\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/div><!-- eq-post-top -->\n<div class=\"pt-on\" hidden data-src=\"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/mens-health-101-post-top.jpg\" data-w=\"437\" data-aspect=\"0.943\" data-side=\"right\" data-bleed=\"R\"><\/div>\n<script>\n\/* Post tops: turns the post's masthead group into the cream band and adds the\n   drawing beside the words. It runs as soon as the masthead's words are in, before\n   the post's own scripts measure anything (the Plain words switch keeps its place on\n   screen, so a band built later scrolled the page). 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It never changes the mode. *\/function fromHash(){if(!root.classList.contains(\"mhp-plain\")){return;}var id=window.location.hash;if(2>id.length){return;}try{id=decodeURIComponent(id.slice(1));}catch(e4){id=id.slice(1);}var t=document.getElementById(id);if(!t){return;}if(t.getClientRects().length>0){return;}var n=t;while(n.parentElement){if(n.parentElement===root){break;}n=n.parentElement;}var h2=null;while(n){h2=n.querySelector('h2[id^=\"part-\"]');if(h2){break;}n=n.previousElementSibling;}if(h2){h2.scrollIntoView({block:\"start\",behavior:\"instant\"});}}window.addEventListener(\"hashchange\",fromHash);window.addEventListener(\"load\",fromHash);\/* the floating pill: shown only once the masthead control has scrolled up out of view, and never over the ending (the closing panel and the footer, which are parsed after this script, so they are looked up on first use). The observer says when the control leaves the screen; a passive scroll listener recomputes from the real positions as well, because a jump (a contents link, the End key) can skip an observer entirely. *\/var ends=[null,null],busy=false;function update(){busy=false;var h=window.innerHeight,show=false,hide=false,k,r;if(!ends[0]){ends[0]=document.querySelector(\".mhp-end\");}if(!ends[1]){ends[1]=document.querySelector(\"footer\");}r=seg.getBoundingClientRect();if(0>=r.bottom){show=true;}for(k=0;ends.length>k;k+=1){if(ends[k]){r=ends[k].getBoundingClientRect();if(h-72>r.top){if(r.bottom>0){hide=true;}}}}if(show){if(!hide){pill.classList.add(\"mhp-pill-on\");return;}}pill.classList.remove(\"mhp-pill-on\");}function soon(){if(!busy){busy=true;window.requestAnimationFrame(update);}}window.addEventListener(\"scroll\",soon,{passive:true});window.addEventListener(\"resize\",soon);if(window.IntersectionObserver){new IntersectionObserver(soon).observe(seg);}window.addEventListener(\"load\",soon);update();})();\/*>*\/<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family eq-drop wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#35302a;margin-top:46px;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.642px, 0.915rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.836), 22px);line-height:1.62\">Plenty of men could draw a rough map of a car engine more easily than a map of their own body. Maybe there was one lesson at school, then some jokes and a lot of guessing, and after that the questions never quite got asked: is this normal, is this the right size, why did that happen, should I be worried about that? If any of those have crossed your mind, you&#8217;re far from the only one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">This article answers them plainly. It starts with where everything is and what each part does, follows the conversation between the brain and the testes that keeps it all running, and then looks at what counts as normal, how much the mind affects the body, and when something is worth checking. It&#8217;s <a href=\"\/womens-health-101\/\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">the companion to the first article in this series<\/a>, Women&#8217;s Health 101, and it follows the same approach.<span class=\"mhp-js\"> If you&#8217;d like everything in plainer words, choose Plain words above.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It describes a body with testes and a penis. Most of the research it draws on was done with men, so that&#8217;s the word it uses when describing studies, while recognizing that not everyone with this anatomy describes themselves that way. None of this is anything to be embarrassed about. <strong class=\"eqb\">Knowing how your body works makes it much easier to notice when something changes, and much easier to ask about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:0px\"><aside class=\"ra-anyway\"><span class=\"mk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20.5s-7.5-4.8-7.5-10.4A4.4 4.4 0 0 1 12 7.4a4.4 4.4 0 0 1 7.5 2.7c0 5.6-7.5 10.4-7.5 10.4z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p class=\"h\">This might not be your body. Read it anyway.<\/p><p class=\"t\">Most of us were taught almost nothing about the bodies we do not live in. Knowing how a partner, a friend or a child is built makes it far easier to talk about, and far easier to notice when something is worth checking. The companion article is <a href=\"\/womens-health-101\/\">Everything You Were Too Afraid to Ask: Women\u2019s Health 101<\/a>.<\/p><\/aside><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:0px\"><aside class=\"ra-sv\" aria-label=\"The short version\"><p class=\"k\">The short version<\/p><ul><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\">Sperm are made in the testes and travel up a long tube to meet fluid from glands near the bladder, which makes up most of semen, before leaving through the penis.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\">Sperm are made in the testes and leave through the penis, but most of semen is fluid from glands near the bladder.<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\">The brain and the testes keep hormones steady by signaling back and forth, and because sperm take about two months to make, anything that affects them can take weeks or months to show up.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\">Your brain and your testes keep hormones steady by signaling back and forth, and sperm take about two months to make, so changes take time to show.<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Most of what men worry about in private is normal<\/strong>: size is close to the average for most men, testosterone falls only slowly with age, and erections during sleep are a good sign.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Most of what men worry about in private is normal<\/strong>, and erections during sleep are a good sign.<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\">Stress, low mood, poor sleep and some medicines can all affect erections, and problems that keep coming back deserve a doctor&#8217;s attention, because they can be an early sign of heart trouble.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\">Stress, low mood, poor sleep and some medicines can all affect erections, and problems that keep coming back deserve a doctor&#8217;s attention, because they can be an early sign of heart trouble.<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\">Things like one testicle hanging lower or finishing sooner than you want are very common, while taking testosterone or anabolic steroids can stop sperm production, which matters if you might want children.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\">One testicle hanging lower and finishing too soon are both very common, while taking testosterone or anabolic steroids can stop sperm production, which matters if you might want children.<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"d\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><p class=\"mhp-nrm\">Get to know what is normal for your body, get tested after unprotected sex (sex without a condom) because most infections cause no symptoms, and treat sudden, severe testicle pain as an emergency.<\/p><p class=\"mhp-pln\">Get to know what is normal for your body, get tested after unprotected sex (sex without a condom) because most infections cause no symptoms, and treat sudden, severe testicle pain as an emergency.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4ccedd2e wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#e8e1d5;border-width:1.5px;border-style:solid;border-radius:22px;background-color:#faf8f3;margin-top:56px;margin-bottom:20px;padding:30px 34px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#6b6259;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:22px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WHAT THIS ARTICLE COVERS &middot; SIX&nbsp;PARTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\">\n<div class=\"eq-toc\"><details><summary><svg class=\"chev\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><p hidden><\/p><span class=\"num\">PART 1<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-1\">Where everything is<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\"><span class=\"sec\">3 sections<\/span><span class=\"sep\"> &middot; <\/span>2 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">2 min<\/span><\/span><\/summary><ul><li><a href=\"#a-short-tour-of-the-outside\">A short tour of the outside<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#a-short-tour-of-the-inside\">A short tour of the inside<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-route-sperm-takes\">The route sperm takes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/details><details><summary><svg class=\"chev\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><p hidden><\/p><span class=\"num\">PART 2<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-2\">The messengers<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\"><span class=\"sec\">3 sections<\/span><span class=\"sep\"> &middot; <\/span>2 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">1 min<\/span><\/span><\/summary><ul><li><a href=\"#the-brain-starts-the-conversation\">The brain starts the conversation<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-hormones-worth-knowing\">The hormones worth knowing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sperm-take-their-time\">Sperm take their time<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/details><details><summary><svg class=\"chev\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><p hidden><\/p><span class=\"num\">PART 3<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-3\">What counts as normal<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\"><span class=\"sec\">7 sections<\/span><span class=\"sep\"> &middot; <\/span>5 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">4 min<\/span><\/span><\/summary><ul><li><a href=\"#size-measured-properly\">Size, measured properly<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#testosterone-changes-gradually\">Testosterone changes gradually<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#erections-at-night-are-a-good-sign\">Erections at night are a good sign<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-about-semen\">What about semen?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#the-prostate-grows\">The prostate grows<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#breast-tissue-is-not-unusual\">Breast tissue is not unusual<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-changes-with-age\">What changes with age<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/details><details><summary><svg class=\"chev\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><p hidden><\/p><span class=\"num\">PART 4<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-4\">Mind and body<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\"><span class=\"sec\">6 sections<\/span><span class=\"sep\"> &middot; <\/span>6 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">4 min<\/span><\/span><\/summary><ul><li><a href=\"#erections-are-sensitive-to-the-mind\">Erections are sensitive to the mind<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#mood-and-erections-affect-each-other\">Mood and erections affect each other<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sometimes-it-is-the-heart-talking\">Sometimes it is the heart talking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sleep-weight-and-the-rest-of-your-life\">Sleep, weight and the rest of your life<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sometimes-it-is-the-medication\">Sometimes it is the medication<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#why-men-wait-to-ask-for-help\">Why men wait to ask for help<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/details><div class=\"flat\"><svg class=\"chev hide\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"num\">PART 5<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-5\">Everything you were too afraid to ask<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\">8 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">7 min<\/span><\/span><\/div><details><summary><svg class=\"chev\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M4 2l4 4-4 4\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.7\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><\/svg><p hidden><\/p><span class=\"num\">PART 6<\/span><a class=\"ttl\" href=\"#part-6\">Checking in with your body<\/a><span class=\"cnt\"><span class=\"mhp-n2\"><span class=\"sec\">5 sections<\/span><span class=\"sep\"> &middot; <\/span>5 min<\/span><span class=\"mhp-p2\">5 min<\/span><\/span><\/summary><ul><li><a href=\"#getting-to-know-what-is-normal-for-you\">Getting to know what is normal for you<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#infections-are-usually-silent\">Infections are usually silent<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#prostate-cancer-and-the-psa-test\">Prostate cancer and the PSA test<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#changes-worth-checking\">Changes worth checking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#sudden-pain-cannot-wait\">Sudden pain cannot wait<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/details><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">01<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 21s-6.5-5.6-6.5-11a6.5 6.5 0 0 1 13 0c0 5.4-6.5 11-6.5 11zM12 12.5a2.3 2.3 0 1 0 0-4.6 2.3 2.3 0 0 0 0 4.6z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part one of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"now\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-1\">Where everything is<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">The parts inside and outside, and the route sperm takes<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">On the outside are the penis and the scrotum. The penis has a shaft and a rounded, very sensitive tip called the glans. In men who haven&#8217;t been circumcised, a fold of skin called the foreskin covers the glans and slides back. The opening at the tip is the end of the urethra, <strong class=\"eqb\">the tube that carries both urine and semen out of the body, though never at the same time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The scrotum is the pouch of skin behind the penis. It holds the two testes, also called testicles. The skin between the scrotum and the anus is the perineum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The testes make sperm and testosterone. Along the back of each one is a coiled tube called the epididymis, where sperm finish developing and are stored. <strong class=\"eqb\">It&#8217;s the part men most often mistake for a lump.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">From there, a longer tube called the vas deferens carries sperm up into the body and over the bladder. It joins the duct of a small gland called a seminal vesicle, and together they empty into the urethra inside the prostate. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland just below the bladder, wrapped around the urethra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Choose a part on the map below to see what it is and what it does.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"a-short-tour-of-the-outside\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">A short tour of the outside<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The parts you can see are the penis and the scrotum. The penis has a shaft and a rounded, very sensitive tip called the glans. If you haven&#8217;t been circumcised, the glans is covered by a fold of skin called the foreskin, which slides back. At the tip is an opening, the end of a tube called the urethra. <strong class=\"eqb\">The urethra carries both urine and semen out of the body, though never at the same time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Behind the penis hangs the scrotum, a pouch of skin that holds the two testes. The skin behind the scrotum, between it and the anus, is called the perineum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"a-short-tour-of-the-inside\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">A short tour of the inside<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The testes, also called testicles, are two oval organs that make sperm and the hormone testosterone. Lying along the back of each one is the <em class=\"eqi\">epididymis<\/em>, a tightly coiled tube where sperm mature and are stored. <strong class=\"eqb\">The epididymis is worth knowing about, because it&#8217;s also the part most often mistaken for a lump.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">From each epididymis, a longer tube called the <em class=\"eqi\">vas deferens<\/em> runs up out of the scrotum and into the body, loops over the bladder, and meets the duct from a seminal vesicle, a small gland behind the bladder. Together they empty into the urethra inside the prostate, a walnut-shaped gland that sits just below the bladder and wraps around the urethra.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:40px;margin-bottom:48px\"><figure class=\"ra-fig ra-an\" id=\"ra-an\"><div class=\"hd\"><p class=\"ti\">Where everything is<\/p><p class=\"q\">Choose a part to see what it is and what it does, or follow the route sperm take<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ctl\"><div class=\"ra-seg\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"View\"><button type=\"button\" data-view=\"in\" aria-pressed=\"true\">inside the body<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-view=\"out\" aria-pressed=\"false\">on the outside<\/button><\/div><button type=\"button\" class=\"route\" id=\"ma-route\">Follow the route<\/button><\/div><div class=\"lay\"><div><div class=\"view\" id=\"ra-vin\"><div class=\"dia\"><svg viewBox=\"24 30 536 464\" data-vb=\"24 30 536 464\" data-vbp=\"126 24 320 458\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"A side view diagram, facing left, of the organs on their own. High in the middle is the bladder, with the prostate directly beneath it wrapped around the urethra, and a two-lobed seminal vesicle behind. The pubic bone stands in front of the bladder. The vas deferens runs up from the testis, past the pubic bone, over the top of the bladder and down behind it. 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345.6 230.2 351.8C228.5 358.1 226.6 364.4 224.6 370.7C222.5 377.1 220.3 383.5 217.9 390C215.5 396.6 212 405.4 210.2 409.9C208.5 414.4 207.8 415.8 207.3 416.9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#f6c1ce\" stroke-width=\"1.1\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" opacity=\"0.9\" transform=\"translate(-0.8 -0.8)\"\/><path d=\"M290 200C289.8 205 289.8 220.3 289 230C288.2 239.7 286.7 249 285 258C283.3 267 280.8 278.2 279 284C277.2 289.8 276.3 290.6 274.3 292.9C272.4 295.1 269.8 296.2 267.1 297.5C264.5 298.8 261.4 299.4 258.4 300.9C255.5 302.3 252.3 303.5 249.4 306C246.5 308.4 243.6 311.2 241.2 315.8C238.7 320.4 236.7 327.4 234.8 333.4C233 339.4 231.9 345.6 230.2 351.8C228.5 358.1 226.6 364.4 224.6 370.7C222.5 377.1 220.3 383.5 217.9 390C215.5 396.6 212 405.4 210.2 409.9C208.5 414.4 207.8 415.8 207.3 416.9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"transparent\" stroke-width=\"18\"\/><\/g><g class=\"lead\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><line x1=\"134\" y1=\"132\" x2=\"220\" y2=\"134\"\/><line x1=\"430\" y1=\"62\" 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fill=\"#f6e9df\"><ellipse cx=\"40\" cy=\"10.8\" rx=\"6.2\" ry=\"7.8\"\/><rect x=\"36.6\" y=\"15\" width=\"6.8\" height=\"9\"\/><path d=\"M43.6 21C46 21.4 48.7 22.6 50.5 23.4C52.3 24.2 53.8 24.6 54.6 25.8C55.4 27 55.5 28.6 55.2 30.5C54.9 32.4 53.8 34.8 53 37C52.2 39.3 50.9 41.8 50.2 44C49.5 46.2 49 48 49 50C49 52 49.9 54.2 50.2 56C50.5 57.8 51.5 59.4 50.8 61C50.1 62.6 48.8 64.8 46 65.5C43.2 66.3 36.8 66.3 34 65.5C31.2 64.8 29.9 62.6 29.2 61C28.5 59.4 29.5 57.8 29.8 56C30.1 54.2 31 52 31 50C31 48 30.5 46.2 29.8 44C29.1 41.8 27.8 39.3 27 37C26.2 34.8 25.1 32.4 24.8 30.5C24.5 28.6 24.6 27 25.4 25.8C26.2 24.6 27.7 24.2 29.5 23.4C31.3 22.6 34.1 21.4 36.4 21C38.8 20.6 41.3 20.6 43.6 21Z\"\/><path d=\"M40.5 62.5C41.4 60.3 44.3 59.7 46 59.5C47.7 59.3 50 59.4 50.8 61.5C51.6 63.6 51.1 67.8 50.8 72C50.5 76.3 49.4 82.7 49.2 87C49 91.3 50 93.8 49.6 98C49.2 102.3 47.2 109.2 47 112.5C46.8 115.8 48.6 116.5 48.6 117.6C48.6 118.7 47.9 118.8 46.8 119C45.7 119.2 42.9 119.7 42.2 118.6C41.5 117.5 42.5 115.8 42.4 112.5C42.3 109.2 41.5 103.1 41.4 99C41.3 94.9 42 92.3 41.9 88C41.8 83.7 41 77.3 40.8 73C40.6 68.8 39.6 64.8 40.5 62.5Z\"\/><path d=\"M39.5 62.5C38.6 60.3 35.7 59.7 34 59.5C32.3 59.3 30 59.4 29.2 61.5C28.4 63.6 28.9 67.8 29.2 72C29.5 76.3 30.6 82.7 30.8 87C31 91.3 30 93.8 30.4 98C30.8 102.3 32.8 109.2 33 112.5C33.2 115.8 31.4 116.5 31.4 117.6C31.4 118.7 32.1 118.8 33.2 119C34.3 119.2 37.1 119.7 37.8 118.6C38.5 117.5 37.5 115.8 37.6 112.5C37.7 109.2 38.5 103.1 38.6 99C38.7 94.9 38 92.3 38.1 88C38.2 83.7 39 77.3 39.2 73C39.4 68.8 40.4 64.8 39.5 62.5Z\"\/><path d=\"M53.4 24.6C54 23 55.9 25.5 56.6 27.2C57.3 28.9 57.7 32 57.8 35C57.9 38 57.4 41.5 57.4 45C57.4 48.5 57.9 52.9 58 56C58.1 59.1 58.1 61.4 58.2 63.5C58.4 65.6 59 67.1 58.9 68.5C58.8 70 58 71.9 57.5 72.2C57 72.5 56.3 71.6 55.9 70.2C55.6 68.8 55.7 66.4 55.4 64C55.1 61.6 54.6 59 54.3 56C54 53 53.8 49.2 53.6 46C53.4 42.8 53.2 40.6 53.2 37C53.2 33.4 52.8 26.2 53.4 24.6Z\"\/><path d=\"M26.6 24.6C26 23 24.1 25.5 23.4 27.2C22.7 28.9 22.3 32 22.2 35C22.1 38 22.6 41.5 22.6 45C22.6 48.5 22.1 52.9 22 56C21.9 59.1 21.9 61.4 21.8 63.5C21.7 65.6 21 67.1 21.1 68.5C21.2 70 22 71.9 22.5 72.2C23 72.5 23.8 71.6 24.1 70.2C24.5 68.8 24.3 66.4 24.6 64C24.9 61.6 25.4 59 25.7 56C26 53 26.2 49.2 26.4 46C26.6 42.8 26.8 40.6 26.8 37C26.8 33.4 27.2 26.2 26.6 24.6Z\"\/><\/g><circle cx=\"40\" cy=\"57\" r=\"8.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#cc5586\" stroke-width=\"1.3\" stroke-dasharray=\"2.5 2.5\"\/><g stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M40 60.4V64\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#8f3450\" stroke-width=\"1.1\"\/><ellipse cx=\"40\" cy=\"53.6\" rx=\"5.1\" ry=\"4\" fill=\"#f6cfc8\" stroke=\"#cc5586\" stroke-width=\".9\"\/><ellipse cx=\"40\" cy=\"59.2\" rx=\"3.3\" ry=\"2.5\" fill=\"#d4766e\" stroke=\"#b85a58\" stroke-width=\".8\"\/><\/g><\/svg><span><b>Where in the body<\/b>At the base of the belly and between the legs, with the prostate just below the bladder<\/span><\/div><div class=\"chips\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Choose a part\"><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"testes\" aria-pressed=\"false\">testes<span class=\"mhp-pln\"> (testicles)<\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"epididymis\" aria-pressed=\"false\">epididymis<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"vas\" aria-pressed=\"false\">vas deferens<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"vesicles\" aria-pressed=\"false\">seminal vesicles<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"prostate\" aria-pressed=\"false\">prostate<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"urethra\" aria-pressed=\"false\">urethra<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"in\" data-p=\"bladder\" aria-pressed=\"false\">bladder<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"view\" id=\"ra-vout\" hidden><div class=\"dia\"><svg viewBox=\"90 118 428 370\" data-vb=\"90 118 428 370\" data-vbp=\"166 120 268 384\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"A front view diagram: the penis hanging down with the shaft, the foreskin over the upper part of the rounded glans and the small opening at the tip, and behind it the scrotum in two soft lobes with a line down the middle, the two testes faintly outlined inside, one hanging a little lower. The perineum is the small patch below the scrotum.\"><defs>\n<linearGradient id=\"ma-gshm\" x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"0\" y2=\"1\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#000\"\/><stop offset=\".3\" stop-color=\"#fff\"\/><\/linearGradient>\n<mask id=\"ma-mksh\" maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x=\"250\" y=\"156\" width=\"100\" height=\"150\"><rect x=\"250\" y=\"156\" width=\"100\" height=\"150\" fill=\"url(#ma-gshm)\"\/><\/mask>\n<linearGradient id=\"ma-go\" gradientUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x1=\"268\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"332\" y2=\"0\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#e0a59d\"\/><stop offset=\".42\" stop-color=\"#f9ddd4\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#dc9d96\"\/><\/linearGradient>\n<linearGradient id=\"ma-gsk\" x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"0\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#e6b0a9\"\/><stop offset=\".4\" stop-color=\"#fae1d9\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#e0a69f\"\/><\/linearGradient>\n<radialGradient id=\"ma-glowo\" cx=\"50%\" cy=\"50%\" r=\"50%\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#f6e4d6\" stop-opacity=\".85\"\/><stop offset=\".7\" stop-color=\"#f8ebe0\" stop-opacity=\".4\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#faf1e8\" stop-opacity=\"0\"\/><\/radialGradient>\n<radialGradient id=\"ma-shdo\" cx=\"36%\" cy=\"28%\" r=\"86%\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#7a3d2e\" stop-opacity=\"0\"\/><stop offset=\".5\" stop-color=\"#7a3d2e\" stop-opacity=\"0\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#7a3d2e\" stop-opacity=\".2\"\/><\/radialGradient>\n<radialGradient id=\"ma-ggo\" cx=\"48%\" cy=\"34%\" r=\"64%\"><stop offset=\"0\" stop-color=\"#f4bfcb\"\/><stop offset=\"1\" stop-color=\"#d2829a\"\/><\/radialGradient>\n<\/defs><g aria-hidden=\"true\"><ellipse cx=\"300\" cy=\"300\" rx=\"138\" ry=\"228\" fill=\"url(#ma-glowo)\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"perineum\" data-pa=\"300,446,300,474,c\"><ellipse cx=\"300\" cy=\"443\" rx=\"30\" ry=\"11\" fill=\"#e8b9b0\"\/><rect x=\"266\" y=\"430\" width=\"68\" height=\"28\" fill=\"transparent\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"scrotum\" data-pa=\"234,392,206,396,e\"><path d=\"M256 262C226 308 214 372 254 410C274 428 292 426 300 410C308 426 326 428 346 410C386 372 374 308 344 262C326 238 274 238 256 262Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-gsk)\" stroke=\"#cd8c86\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M256 262C226 308 214 372 254 410C274 428 292 426 300 410C308 426 326 428 346 410C386 372 374 308 344 262C326 238 274 238 256 262Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-shdo)\"\/><path d=\"M300 240C303 300 303 370 300 410\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#cb8e86\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" opacity=\".75\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"testeso\" data-pa=\"262,378,300,452,c\"><ellipse cx=\"260\" cy=\"336\" rx=\"31\" ry=\"43\" fill=\"#e9b5bd\" fill-opacity=\".3\" stroke=\"#c4808a\" stroke-opacity=\".6\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-dasharray=\"6 5\"\/><ellipse cx=\"340\" cy=\"350\" rx=\"31\" ry=\"43\" fill=\"#e9b5bd\" fill-opacity=\".3\" stroke=\"#c4808a\" stroke-opacity=\".6\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-dasharray=\"6 5\"\/><rect x=\"230\" y=\"262\" width=\"140\" height=\"150\" fill=\"transparent\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"shaft\" data-pa=\"329,232,346,232,s\"><g mask=\"url(#ma-mksh)\"><path d=\"M269 176C269 162 331 162 331 176L331 292C331 302 269 302 269 292Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-go)\" stroke=\"#c27b72\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M288 206C286 236 286 264 288 292\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#fff3e6\" stroke-width=\"2.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" opacity=\".7\"\/><\/g><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"glans\" data-pa=\"323,356,346,360,s\"><path d=\"M276 312C272 346 285 388 300 392C315 388 328 346 324 312Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-ggo)\" stroke=\"#c4647f\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M276 312C272 346 285 388 300 392C315 388 328 346 324 312Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-shdo)\"\/><path d=\"M283 350C284 363 289 374 295 382\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#fff3e6\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" opacity=\".75\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"foreskin\" data-pa=\"331,300,346,300,s\"><path d=\"M269 284C268 298 268 314 270 328C273 340 285 354 300 356C315 354 327 340 330 328C332 314 332 298 331 284Z\" fill=\"url(#ma-go)\"\/><path d=\"M269 284C268 298 268 314 270 328C273 340 285 354 300 356C315 354 327 340 330 328C332 314 332 298 331 284\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#c27b72\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M271 330C275 342 287 353 300 355C313 353 325 342 329 330\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#b06a62\" stroke-width=\"2.4\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><path d=\"M274 329C278 338 288 346 300 348C312 346 322 338 326 329\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#cf968d\" stroke-width=\"3.4\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" opacity=\".45\"\/><path d=\"M272 310C282 324 292 328 300 328C308 328 318 324 328 310\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#dba49b\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" opacity=\".85\"\/><path d=\"M288 292C287 308 289 322 294 334\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#fff3e6\" stroke-width=\"2.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" opacity=\".6\"\/><\/g><g class=\"hit\" data-p=\"opening\" data-pa=\"303,382,318,420,c\"><path d=\"M300 372L300 384\" stroke=\"#9c3d58\" stroke-width=\"3.4\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><rect x=\"286\" y=\"364\" width=\"28\" height=\"30\" fill=\"transparent\"\/><\/g><g class=\"lead\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"192\" x2=\"326\" y2=\"226\"\/><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"256\" x2=\"331\" y2=\"304\"\/><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"318\" x2=\"324\" y2=\"352\"\/><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"382\" x2=\"302\" y2=\"380\"\/><line x1=\"202\" y1=\"350\" x2=\"246\" y2=\"352\"\/><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"436\" x2=\"366\" y2=\"394\"\/><line x1=\"408\" y1=\"476\" x2=\"318\" y2=\"448\"\/><circle cx=\"326\" cy=\"226\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"331\" cy=\"304\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"324\" cy=\"352\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"302\" cy=\"380\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"246\" cy=\"352\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"366\" cy=\"394\" r=\"2.6\"\/><circle cx=\"318\" cy=\"448\" r=\"2.6\"\/><\/g><\/svg><div aria-hidden=\"true\"><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"shaft\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:20.00%\">shaft<\/span><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"foreskin\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:37.30%\">foreskin<\/span><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"glans\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:54.05%\">glans<\/span><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"opening\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:71.35%\">urethral opening<\/span><span class=\"lab l\" data-p=\"testeso\" style=\"right:75.23%;top:62.70%\">testes<span class=\"mhp-pln\"> (testicles)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"scrotum\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:85.95%\">scrotum<\/span><span class=\"lab r\" data-p=\"perineum\" style=\"left:75.70%;top:96.76%\">perineum<\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"chips\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Choose a part\"><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"shaft\" aria-pressed=\"false\">shaft<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"glans\" aria-pressed=\"false\">glans<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"foreskin\" aria-pressed=\"false\">foreskin<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"opening\" aria-pressed=\"false\">urethral opening<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"scrotum\" aria-pressed=\"false\">scrotum<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"testeso\" aria-pressed=\"false\">testes<span class=\"mhp-pln\"> (testicles)<\/span><\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"out\" data-p=\"perineum\" aria-pressed=\"false\">perineum<\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"mob\"><label for=\"ra-an-sel\">Choose a part<\/label><select class=\"ra-sel\" id=\"ra-an-sel\"><optgroup label=\"Inside the body\"><option value=\"testes\" data-v=\"in\" data-pn=\"testes (testicles)\">testes<\/option><option value=\"epididymis\" data-v=\"in\">epididymis<\/option><option value=\"vas\" data-v=\"in\">vas deferens<\/option><option value=\"vesicles\" data-v=\"in\">seminal vesicles<\/option><option value=\"prostate\" data-v=\"in\">prostate<\/option><option value=\"urethra\" data-v=\"in\">urethra<\/option><option value=\"bladder\" data-v=\"in\">bladder<\/option><\/optgroup><optgroup label=\"On the outside\"><option value=\"shaft\" data-v=\"out\">shaft<\/option><option value=\"glans\" data-v=\"out\">glans<\/option><option value=\"foreskin\" data-v=\"out\">foreskin<\/option><option value=\"opening\" data-v=\"out\">urethral opening<\/option><option value=\"scrotum\" data-v=\"out\">scrotum<\/option><option value=\"testeso\" data-v=\"out\" data-pn=\"testes (testicles)\">testes<\/option><option value=\"perineum\" data-v=\"out\">perineum<\/option><\/optgroup><\/select><\/div><\/div><div class=\"card\" aria-live=\"polite\"><p class=\"nm\" id=\"ra-nm\"><\/p><p class=\"al\" id=\"ra-al\"><\/p><p class=\"k\">What it is<\/p><p class=\"t\" id=\"ra-wi\"><\/p><p class=\"k\">What it does<\/p><p class=\"t\" id=\"ra-wd\"><\/p><p class=\"mx\" id=\"ra-mx\"><b>A common mix-up<\/b><span id=\"ra-mxt\"><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><figcaption><span class=\"mhp-nrm\">Diagrams, not to scale, and simplified. The inside is drawn from the side, facing left. Every body is a little different, and the outside varies a great deal from person to person.<\/span><span class=\"mhp-pln\">These drawings are simplified and not to scale. The inside view is drawn from the side, facing left. Every body is a little different, and the outside varies a lot from person to person.<\/span><\/figcaption><script>(function(){var D={\"testes\":[\"Testes\",\"Also called testicles\",\"Two oval organs inside the scrotum. It is common for one to hang lower, or to be slightly larger, than the other.\",\"They make sperm, continuously from puberty onward, and most of the body's testosterone.\",\"The soft tube you can feel along the back of each testicle is the epididymis. It is a normal part of the testicle, not a lump.\"],\"epididymis\":[\"Epididymis\",\"A coiled tube on the back of each testis\",\"A tightly coiled tube lying along the back of each testicle. It feels soft and slightly uneven.\",\"Sperm move into it from the testis, mature there and are stored until they are needed.\",\"\"],\"vas\":[\"Vas deferens\",\"The tube that carries sperm upward\",\"A firm, narrow tube that runs from each epididymis up out of the scrotum, into the body and over the bladder.\",\"It carries sperm toward the urethra. It is the tube that is cut or sealed in a vasectomy.\",\"\"],\"vesicles\":[\"Seminal vesicles\",\"Two small glands behind the bladder\",\"Two small glands that sit behind the bladder, close to the prostate.\",\"They make around 70% of the fluid in semen, including a sugar that gives sperm their energy.\",\"Most of semen is not sperm at all, which is why it looks much the same after a vasectomy.\"],\"prostate\":[\"Prostate\",\"A walnut-shaped gland below the bladder\",\"A gland about the size and shape of a walnut, just below the bladder, wrapped around the urethra.\",\"It adds fluid to semen. It often grows larger with age, and because it surrounds the urethra, that can affect the flow of urine.\",\"A larger prostate is very common with age. It is not the same thing as prostate cancer.\"],\"urethra\":[\"Urethra\",\"The tube through the penis\",\"A tube that runs from the bladder, through the prostate and along the penis to the opening at the tip.\",\"It carries urine out of the body and, at other times, semen.\",\"Urine and semen share this one tube, but they do not travel through it at the same time.\"],\"bladder\":[\"Bladder\",\"Not a reproductive organ, but next door\",\"The stretchy bag that stores urine, sitting just above the prostate.\",\"It empties through the urethra.\",\"It is shown here because the prostate sits directly beneath it, which is why prostate changes often show up as changes in urinating.\"],\"shaft\":[\"Shaft\",\"The main length of the penis\",\"The main part of the penis. Inside it are columns of spongy tissue, and one of them surrounds the urethra.\",\"During an erection, that tissue fills with blood and holds it, which is what makes the penis firm.\",\"\"],\"glans\":[\"Glans\",\"The rounded tip\",\"The rounded, very sensitive tip of the penis.\",\"It is packed with nerve endings and is central to sexual sensation.\",\"\"],\"foreskin\":[\"Foreskin\",\"The fold of skin over the glans\",\"A fold of skin that covers the glans in men who have not been circumcised, and slides back.\",\"It covers and protects the glans.\",\"In young boys it often does not pull back yet, and that is normal. It loosens gradually and should never be forced.\"],\"opening\":[\"Urethral opening\",\"The opening at the tip\",\"The small opening at the tip of the glans.\",\"Urine and semen both leave the body through it.\",\"\"],\"scrotum\":[\"Scrotum\",\"The pouch that holds the testes\",\"A pouch of skin and muscle that hangs behind the penis. It can look smooth or wrinkled, and it changes with temperature.\",\"It holds the testes outside the body, where they stay a little cooler, which sperm production needs.\",\"\"],\"testeso\":[\"Testes\",\"Inside the scrotum\",\"Two oval organs inside the scrotum. It is common for one to hang lower, or to be slightly larger, than the other.\",\"They make sperm and most of the body's testosterone.\",\"What matters is noticing changes over time, not differences that have always been there.\"],\"perineum\":[\"Perineum\",\"The skin behind the scrotum\",\"The area of skin between the scrotum and the anus.\",\"It covers the muscles of the pelvic floor.\",\"\"]};var f=document.getElementById(\"ra-an\");if(!f){return;}var vin=document.getElementById(\"ra-vin\"),vout=document.getElementById(\"ra-vout\"),vb=f.querySelectorAll(\".ra-seg button\");var el=function(i){return document.getElementById(i);};var user=false;var cur=\"\";var P={\"testes\":[null,null,\"Two oval organs inside the scrotum. It\u2019s common for one to hang lower than the other, or to be a little bigger.\",\"They make sperm, all the time from puberty on, and most of your testosterone.\",\"The soft tube you can feel along the back of each one is the epididymis. It\u2019s a normal part of the testicle, not a lump.\"],\"epididymis\":[null,\"A coiled tube on the back of each testicle\",\"A tightly coiled tube along the back of each testicle. It feels soft and a little uneven.\",\"Sperm move into it from the testicle. They finish developing there and are stored until they\u2019re needed.\",null],\"vas\":[null,null,\"A firm, narrow tube. It runs from each epididymis up out of the scrotum, into the body and over the bladder.\",\"It carries sperm toward the urethra. It\u2019s the tube that\u2019s cut or sealed in a vasectomy.\",null],\"vesicles\":[null,null,null,\"They make around 70% of the fluid in semen, including a sugar that gives sperm their energy.\",\"Most of semen isn\u2019t sperm at all. That\u2019s why it looks much the same after a vasectomy.\"],\"prostate\":[null,null,\"A gland about the size and shape of a walnut. It sits just below the bladder and wraps around the urethra.\",\"It adds fluid to semen. It often gets bigger with age, and because it wraps around the urethra, that can change how urine flows.\",\"A bigger prostate is very common with age. It isn\u2019t the same thing as prostate cancer.\"],\"urethra\":[null,null,null,null,\"Urine and semen share this one tube, but never at the same time.\"],\"bladder\":[null,null,\"The stretchy bag that holds urine, just above the prostate.\",null,\"It\u2019s shown here because the prostate sits right under it. That\u2019s why prostate changes often show up as changes in peeing.\"],\"shaft\":[null,null,\"The main part of the penis. Inside it are columns of spongy tissue, and one of them surrounds the urethra.\",\"During an erection, that tissue fills with blood and holds it. That\u2019s what makes the penis firm.\",null],\"glans\":[null,null,null,\"It has lots of nerve endings and plays a central part in sexual feeling.\",null],\"foreskin\":[null,null,\"A fold of skin that covers the glans in men who haven\u2019t been circumcised. It slides back.\",null,\"In young boys it often doesn\u2019t pull back yet, and that\u2019s normal. It loosens gradually and should never be forced.\"],\"scrotum\":[null,null,null,\"It holds the testes outside the body, where they stay a little cooler. Making sperm needs that.\",null],\"testeso\":[null,null,\"Two oval organs inside the scrotum. It\u2019s common for one to hang lower than the other, or to be a little bigger.\",\"They make sperm and most of your testosterone.\",null],\"perineum\":[null,null,\"The patch of skin between the scrotum and the anus.\",\"It covers the pelvic floor, the muscles that form the floor of your pelvis.\",null]};var sl=document.getElementById(\"ra-an-sel\");var mq=window.matchMedia?window.matchMedia(\"(max-width:640px)\"):null;var NS=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\";function phone(){return mq?mq.matches:false;}function vbs(){var ss=f.querySelectorAll(\".dia svg\"),i;for(i=0;i<ss.length;i++){ss[i].setAttribute(\"viewBox\",ss[i].getAttribute(phone()?\"data-vbp\":\"data-vb\"));}}function mk(n,at){var e=document.createElementNS(NS,n),k;for(k in at){e.setAttribute(k,at[k]);}return e;}function plab(p){var old=f.querySelectorAll(\".plab\"),i;for(i=0;i<old.length;i++){old[i].parentNode.removeChild(old[i]);}vbs();if(!phone()){return;}var vv=vin.hidden?vout:vin,h=null,hs2=vv.querySelectorAll(\".hit\");for(i=0;i<hs2.length;i++){if(hs2[i].getAttribute(\"data-p\")===p){if(hs2[i].getAttribute(\"data-pa\")){h=hs2[i];break;}}}if(!h){return;}var a=h.getAttribute(\"data-pa\").split(\",\"),s=h.ownerSVGElement,vb=s.viewBox.baseVal,sc=s.getBoundingClientRect().width\/vb.width;if(!sc){return;}var tx=p;if(sl){for(i=0;i<sl.options.length;i++){if(sl.options[i].value===p){tx=sl.options[i].textContent;}}}var ax=+a[0],ay=+a[1],lx=+a[2],ly=+a[3],al=a[4],px=7\/sc,py=4.5\/sc,g=mk(\"g\",{\"class\":\"plab\",\"aria-hidden\":\"true\"}),t=mk(\"text\",{\"font-size\":13.5\/sc,\"text-anchor\":al===\"e\"?\"end\":(al===\"s\"?\"start\":\"middle\"),x:al===\"e\"?lx-px:(al===\"s\"?lx+px:lx),y:ly,dy:\"0.35em\"});t.textContent=tx;g.appendChild(t);s.appendChild(g);var bb=t.getBBox(),rx=bb.x-px,rw=bb.width+2*px,ry=bb.y-py\/2,rh=bb.height+py,dx=0,dy=0,lo=vb.x+3\/sc,hi=vb.x+vb.width-3\/sc,tlo=vb.y+3\/sc,thi=vb.y+vb.height-3\/sc;if(rx<lo){dx=lo-rx;}if(rx+rw>hi){dx=hi-rx-rw;}if(ry<tlo){dy=tlo-ry;}if(ry+rh>thi){dy=thi-ry-rh;}if(dx!==0){t.setAttribute(\"x\",+t.getAttribute(\"x\")+dx);rx=rx+dx;}if(dy!==0){t.setAttribute(\"y\",+t.getAttribute(\"y\")+dy);ry=ry+dy;}var r=mk(\"rect\",{x:rx,y:ry,width:rw,height:rh,rx:6\/sc});g.insertBefore(r,t);var ey=ly+dy;if(ax!==lx||ay!==ly){var ex=al===\"e\"?rx+rw:(al===\"s\"?rx:lx+dx);g.insertBefore(mk(\"line\",{x1:ax,y1:ay,x2:ex,y2:ey}),r);g.appendChild(mk(\"circle\",{cx:ax,cy:ay,r:3.6\/sc}));}}function plainOn(){var r=document.querySelector(\".mhp-post\");if(r){return r.classList.contains(\"mhp-plain\");}return false;}function fld(p,i){if(plainOn()){var q=P[p];if(q){if(typeof q[i]===\"string\"){return q[i];}}}return D[p][i];}function pick(p){var d=D[p];if(!d){return;}cur=p;if(sl){sl.value=p;}var m4=fld(p,4);el(\"ra-nm\").textContent=d[0];el(\"ra-al\").textContent=fld(p,1);el(\"ra-wi\").textContent=fld(p,2);el(\"ra-wd\").textContent=fld(p,3);el(\"ra-mxt\").textContent=m4;el(\"ra-mx\").hidden=!m4;var hs=f.querySelectorAll(\".hit\"),cs=f.querySelectorAll(\".chips button\");for(var i=0;i<hs.length;i++){var c=hs[i].getAttribute(\"class\").replace(\" on\",\"\");hs[i].setAttribute(\"class\",hs[i].getAttribute(\"data-p\")===p?c+\" on\":c);}for(var j=0;j<cs.length;j++){cs[j].setAttribute(\"aria-pressed\",cs[j].getAttribute(\"data-p\")===p?\"true\":\"false\");}var ls=f.querySelectorAll(\".lab\");for(var q=0;q<ls.length;q++){ls[q].className=ls[q].className.replace(\" on\",\"\")+(ls[q].getAttribute(\"data-p\")===p?\" on\":\"\");}var dim=user;vin.className=dim?\"view picked\":\"view\";vout.className=dim?\"view picked\":\"view\";plab(p);}function view(v){vin.hidden=v!==\"in\";vout.hidden=v!==\"out\";for(var k=0;k<vb.length;k++){vb[k].setAttribute(\"aria-pressed\",vb[k].getAttribute(\"data-view\")===v?\"true\":\"false\");}user=false;pick(v===\"in\"?\"testes\":\"shaft\");user=true;}for(var k=0;k<vb.length;k++){vb[k].addEventListener(\"click\",function(){view(this.getAttribute(\"data-view\"));});}var cs=f.querySelectorAll(\".chips button\");for(var i=0;i<cs.length;i++){cs[i].addEventListener(\"click\",function(){pick(this.getAttribute(\"data-p\"));});}var hs=f.querySelectorAll(\".hit\");for(var i2=0;i2<hs.length;i2++){hs[i2].addEventListener(\"click\",function(){pick(this.getAttribute(\"data-p\"));});}if(sl){sl.addEventListener(\"change\",function(){var o=sl.options[sl.selectedIndex],v=o.getAttribute(\"data-v\"),cv=\"in\";if(!vout.hidden){cv=\"out\";}if(v!==cv){view(v);}pick(o.value);});}function names(){if(!sl){return;}var on=plainOn(),os=sl.options,i,t;for(i=0;os.length>i;i+=1){if(os[i].getAttribute(\"data-n\")===null){os[i].setAttribute(\"data-n\",os[i].textContent);}t=os[i].getAttribute(\"data-pn\");if(on){if(t){os[i].textContent=t;continue;}}os[i].textContent=os[i].getAttribute(\"data-n\");}}document.addEventListener(\"mhp-plain-change\",function(){names();if(cur){pick(cur);}});names();if(window.addEventListener){window.addEventListener(\"resize\",function(){if(cur){plab(cur);}});}view(\"in\");var rb=document.getElementById(\"ma-route\");if(rb){var R=[\"testes\",\"epididymis\",\"vas\",\"vesicles\",\"prostate\",\"urethra\"],t=null,k=0;rb.addEventListener(\"click\",function(){if(t){clearInterval(t);t=null;rb.textContent=\"Follow the route\";return;}view(\"in\");user=true;k=0;pick(R[0]);rb.textContent=\"Stop\";t=setInterval(function(){k=k+1;if(k>=R.length){clearInterval(t);t=null;rb.textContent=\"Follow the route\";return;}pick(R[k]);},2600);});}})();\/*>*\/<\/script><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Put together, the parts make one route. Sperm are made in the testes, finish developing in the epididymis and travel up the vas deferens. Fluid from the seminal vesicles and the prostate joins them, and they leave through the urethra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Most of semen isn&#8217;t sperm.<\/strong> Around 70% of it comes from the seminal vesicles, including a sugar that gives sperm their energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">That&#8217;s also <a href=\"\/contraception-101\/#vasectomy-is-more-effective-and-less-risky-than-the-female\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">why a vasectomy works<\/a>. Cutting or sealing the vas deferens stops sperm joining the fluid, while the testes, the hormones and the rest of the route carry on as before.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"the-route-sperm-takes\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">The route sperm takes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Put together, those parts make a single route. Sperm are made in the testes, mature in the epididymis, travel up the vas deferens, and are joined by fluid from the seminal vesicles and the prostate before leaving through the urethra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Most of the fluid in semen doesn&#8217;t come from the testes at all<\/strong>: the seminal vesicles provide around 70% of it, including a sugar that gives sperm their energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It also explains <a href=\"\/contraception-101\/#vasectomy-is-more-effective-and-less-risky-than-the-female\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">why a vasectomy works<\/a>. The procedure cuts or seals the vas deferens, so sperm can no longer join the fluid, while the testes, the hormones and the rest of the route carry on as before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mhp-keep\" style=\"margin-top:6px;margin-bottom:34px\"><aside class=\"ra-ff\"><span class=\"mk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 3.5l1.9 5.1 5.1 1.9-5.1 1.9L12 17.5l-1.9-5.1-5.1-1.9 5.1-1.9zM18.5 15.5l.8 2 2 .8-2 .8-.8 2-.8-2-2-.8 2-.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p class=\"k\">Fun fact<\/p><p class=\"t\">The testes hang outside the body for a reason: sperm are made best a little cooler than the rest of the body, which is why the scrotum tightens in the cold and relaxes in the warmth.<\/p><\/aside><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">02<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M4.5 11a7.5 7.5 0 0 1 13.2-4.6M19.5 13a7.5 7.5 0 0 1-13.2 4.6M18 2.8v4h-4M6 21.2v-4h4\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part two of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"now\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-2\">The messengers<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">How the brain and the testes talk to each other<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">All of this runs without you thinking about it, and the instructions come from the brain. A small area called the hypothalamus sends out a hormone called GnRH in pulses, every one to three hours. GnRH tells the pituitary gland, just below it, to send two hormones through the blood to the testes. They&#8217;re called LH and FSH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">LH tells the testes to make testosterone. FSH, together with testosterone, keeps sperm production going. Testosterone also drives the changes of puberty, supports sex drive, and affects muscle, bone and mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The testes answer back. As testosterone rises, the brain eases off. A hormone from the testes called inhibin B does the same for FSH. <strong class=\"eqb\">Estrogen isn&#8217;t only a female hormone.<\/strong> Men also turn a little testosterone into estrogen, and research suggests that&#8217;s one of the main signals telling the brain to slow testosterone production down. <strong class=\"eqb\">Together it works a bit like a thermostat, keeping levels within a range.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Sperm are made all the time from puberty on, millions a day, and each one takes roughly two to two and a half months. So <strong class=\"eqb\">anything that affects sperm can take weeks to show up in a semen test, and improvements take a couple of months to show too<\/strong>. If you&#8217;ve made a change, give it time!<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"the-brain-starts-the-conversation\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">The brain starts the conversation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">All of this runs without you thinking about it, and, as with the menstrual cycle, the instructions come from the brain. A small region called the hypothalamus releases a hormone in pulses, every one to three hours. That hormone tells the pituitary gland, just below it, to release two hormones into the bloodstream: luteinizing hormone, or LH, and follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH. Both travel to the testes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The testes answer back. As testosterone rises, it signals the brain to ease off, and a hormone called inhibin B, made in response to FSH, does the same for FSH. <strong class=\"eqb\">The result is a loop that keeps levels within a range, a bit like a thermostat, rather than a switch that&#8217;s either on or off.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"the-hormones-worth-knowing\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">The hormones worth knowing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mhp-n\" style=\"margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:30px\"><div class=\"ra-hk\"><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#7d86b8\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Gonadotropin-releasing hormone<abbr title=\"Gonadotropin-releasing hormone\">GnRH<\/abbr><\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made by the hypothalamus, in the brain<\/p><p class=\"t\">GnRH, short for gonadotropin-releasing hormone, is the brain&#8217;s opening message. It&#8217;s released in pulses and tells the pituitary gland to get to work.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#d99a2b\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Luteinizing hormone<abbr title=\"Luteinizing hormone\">LH<\/abbr><\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made by the pituitary gland<\/p><p class=\"t\">LH travels to cells in the testes called <em class=\"eqi\">Leydig cells<\/em> and tells them to make testosterone.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#c75a78\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Follicle-stimulating hormone<abbr title=\"Follicle-stimulating hormone\">FSH<\/abbr><\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made by the pituitary gland<\/p><p class=\"t\">FSH works on a different set of cells, the <em class=\"eqi\">Sertoli cells<\/em>, which look after developing sperm. Together with testosterone, it keeps sperm production going.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#1d5f66\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Testosterone<\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made mainly by the testes<\/p><p class=\"t\">Testosterone is made mainly in the testes. It drives the changes of puberty, supports sperm production and sex drive, and affects muscle, bone and mood.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#5f8f7a\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Inhibin B<\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made by the testes, in response to FSH<\/p><p class=\"t\">Inhibin B is made in the testes in response to FSH. It travels back to the brain and tells it to ease off on FSH, which is how sperm production is kept steady.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row\"><span class=\"sw\" style=\"background:#8f5fa8\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><div><p class=\"nm\">Estrogen<\/p><p class=\"fr\">Made from testosterone, in the testes and elsewhere<\/p><p class=\"t\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Estrogen isn&#8217;t only a female hormone.<\/strong> Men make small amounts of it, converted from testosterone, and research suggests it&#8217;s one of the main signals telling the brain to slow testosterone production down.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"sperm-take-their-time\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Sperm take their time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Unlike eggs, which are all formed before birth, sperm are made all the time from puberty onward, millions a day. Each one takes roughly two to two and a half months from start to finish, with real differences from one man to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Anything that affects sperm can take weeks to show up in a semen test, and improvements take a couple of months to show as well.<\/strong> So if you&#8217;ve made a change, give it time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mhp-keep\" style=\"margin-top:6px;margin-bottom:34px\"><aside class=\"ra-ff\"><span class=\"mk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 3.5l1.9 5.1 5.1 1.9-5.1 1.9L12 17.5l-1.9-5.1-5.1-1.9 5.1-1.9zM18.5 15.5l.8 2 2 .8-2 .8-.8 2-.8-2-2-.8 2-.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p class=\"k\">Fun fact<\/p><p class=\"t\">Two thirds of men aged 20 to 50 are estimated to make between about 45 million and 200 million sperm every single day.<\/p><\/aside><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">03<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M3 12h18M3 8.5v7M21 8.5v7M7.5 12v-2.2M12 12V8.8M16.5 12v-2.2\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part three of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"now\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-3\">What counts as normal<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">Size, testosterone, erections and semen, and how much they vary<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Size is one of the most common private worries. Researchers pooled studies in which health professionals measured more than 15,000 men the same way. On average, the penis was about 9 centimeters (3.6 inches) long when soft and about 13 centimeters (5.2 inches) when erect. <strong class=\"eqb\">Most men were close to the average.<\/strong> Height had the strongest link the researchers found, and even that was loose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">These figures are more reliable than most, because professionals did the measuring, and men who came forward worried about their size were left out. The main limit is that fewer than 700 of the men were measured erect, and few of those in a clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Try the chart below to see where a length falls.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"size-measured-properly\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Size, measured properly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Wondering whether you measure up is one of the most common private worries men have, and one of the least talked about. Researchers pooled studies in which health professionals measured more than 15,000 men using a standard method. On average, the penis was about 9 centimeters, or 3.6 inches, long when soft, and about 13 centimeters, or 5.2 inches, when erect. <strong class=\"eqb\">Most men were close to the average.<\/strong> Height showed the strongest link the researchers found, and even that was a loose one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">These figures are more reliable than most, because professionals took the measurements, and the studies left out men with medical conditions affecting the penis, and men who had come forward worried about their size or with erection problems. The main limit is that fewer than 700 of the men were measured erect, and few of those in a clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:40px;margin-bottom:48px\"><figure class=\"ra-fig ra-sz\" id=\"ma-size\" data-v=\"erect\"><div class=\"hd\"><p class=\"ti\">Where do you fall?<\/p><p class=\"q\">Length as measured in thousands of men<\/p><\/div><div class=\"ctl\"><div class=\"ra-seg\" role=\"group\" aria-label=\"Measurement\"><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"erect\" aria-pressed=\"true\">erect<\/button><button type=\"button\" data-v=\"flaccid\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><span class=\"mhp-nrm\">flaccid<\/span><span class=\"mhp-pln\">soft (flaccid)<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/div><div class=\"plot\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 1000 200\" preserveAspectRatio=\"none\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path class=\"cv e\" d=\"M0.0 190.0L6.3 190.0L12.5 190.0L18.8 190.0L25.0 190.0L31.3 190.0L37.5 190.0L43.8 190.0L50.0 190.0L56.3 190.0L62.5 190.0L68.8 190.0L75.0 190.0L81.3 190.0L87.5 190.0L93.8 190.0L100.0 190.0L106.3 190.0L112.5 190.0L118.8 190.0L125.0 190.0L131.3 190.0L137.5 190.0L143.8 190.0L150.0 190.0L156.3 190.0L162.5 190.0L168.8 190.0L175.0 190.0L181.3 190.0L187.5 190.0L193.8 190.0L200.0 190.0L206.3 189.9L212.5 189.9L218.8 189.9L225.0 189.8L231.3 189.8L237.5 189.7L243.8 189.6L250.0 189.4L256.3 189.3L262.5 189.0L268.8 188.8L275.0 188.4L281.3 187.9L287.5 187.4L293.8 186.7L300.0 185.8L306.3 184.8L312.5 183.5L318.8 182.0L325.0 180.3L331.3 178.2L337.5 175.7L343.8 172.9L350.0 169.6L356.3 165.9L362.5 161.8L368.8 157.1L375.0 151.9L381.3 146.1L387.5 139.9L393.8 133.2L400.0 126.0L406.3 118.4L412.5 110.4L418.8 102.2L425.0 93.7L431.3 85.2L437.5 76.7L443.8 68.3L450.0 60.2L456.3 52.6L462.5 45.4L468.8 39.0L475.0 33.3L481.3 28.5L487.5 24.7L493.8 22.0L500.0 20.4L506.3 20.0L512.5 20.7L518.8 22.6L525.0 25.6L531.3 29.6L537.5 34.7L543.8 40.5L550.0 47.2L556.3 54.5L562.5 62.3L568.8 70.4L575.0 78.8L581.3 87.4L587.5 95.9L593.8 104.3L600.0 112.5L606.3 120.3L612.5 127.9L618.8 134.9L625.0 141.5L631.3 147.6L637.5 153.2L643.8 158.3L650.0 162.9L656.3 166.9L662.5 170.5L668.8 173.7L675.0 176.4L681.3 178.7L687.5 180.7L693.8 182.4L700.0 183.9L706.3 185.1L712.5 186.1L718.8 186.9L725.0 187.5L731.3 188.1L737.5 188.5L743.8 188.8L750.0 189.1L756.3 189.3L762.5 189.5L768.8 189.6L775.0 189.7L781.3 189.8L787.5 189.8L793.8 189.9L800.0 189.9L806.3 189.9L812.5 190.0L818.8 190.0L825.0 190.0L831.3 190.0L837.5 190.0L843.8 190.0L850.0 190.0L856.3 190.0L862.5 190.0L868.8 190.0L875.0 190.0L881.3 190.0L887.5 190.0L893.8 190.0L900.0 190.0L906.3 190.0L912.5 190.0L918.8 190.0L925.0 190.0L931.3 190.0L937.5 190.0L943.8 190.0L950.0 190.0L956.3 190.0L962.5 190.0L968.8 190.0L975.0 190.0L981.3 190.0L987.5 190.0L993.8 190.0L1000.0 190.0L1000 190L0 190Z\"\/><path class=\"cv f\" d=\"M0.0 190.0L6.3 190.0L12.5 190.0L18.8 190.0L25.0 190.0L31.3 190.0L37.5 190.0L43.8 189.9L50.0 189.9L56.3 189.9L62.5 189.8L68.8 189.7L75.0 189.6L81.3 189.5L87.5 189.3L93.8 189.1L100.0 188.8L106.3 188.5L112.5 188.0L118.8 187.4L125.0 186.7L131.3 185.8L137.5 184.7L143.8 183.4L150.0 181.7L156.3 179.8L162.5 177.5L168.8 174.7L175.0 171.6L181.3 167.9L187.5 163.8L193.8 159.0L200.0 153.7L206.3 147.9L212.5 141.4L218.8 134.4L225.0 126.9L231.3 118.9L237.5 110.5L243.8 101.7L250.0 92.8L256.3 83.8L262.5 74.8L268.8 66.0L275.0 57.6L281.3 49.7L287.5 42.4L293.8 36.0L300.0 30.5L306.3 26.0L312.5 22.8L318.8 20.7L325.0 20.0L331.3 20.6L337.5 22.4L343.8 25.5L350.0 29.8L356.3 35.1L362.5 41.4L368.8 48.6L375.0 56.4L381.3 64.8L387.5 73.5L393.8 82.5L400.0 91.5L406.3 100.4L412.5 109.2L418.8 117.7L425.0 125.7L431.3 133.3L437.5 140.4L443.8 147.0L450.0 152.9L456.3 158.3L462.5 163.1L468.8 167.4L475.0 171.1L481.3 174.3L487.5 177.1L493.8 179.5L500.0 181.5L506.3 183.1L512.5 184.5L518.8 185.7L525.0 186.6L531.3 187.3L537.5 187.9L543.8 188.4L550.0 188.8L556.3 189.1L562.5 189.3L568.8 189.5L575.0 189.6L581.3 189.7L587.5 189.8L593.8 189.9L600.0 189.9L606.3 189.9L612.5 189.9L618.8 190.0L625.0 190.0L631.3 190.0L637.5 190.0L643.8 190.0L650.0 190.0L656.3 190.0L662.5 190.0L668.8 190.0L675.0 190.0L681.3 190.0L687.5 190.0L693.8 190.0L700.0 190.0L706.3 190.0L712.5 190.0L718.8 190.0L725.0 190.0L731.3 190.0L737.5 190.0L743.8 190.0L750.0 190.0L756.3 190.0L762.5 190.0L768.8 190.0L775.0 190.0L781.3 190.0L787.5 190.0L793.8 190.0L800.0 190.0L806.3 190.0L812.5 190.0L818.8 190.0L825.0 190.0L831.3 190.0L837.5 190.0L843.8 190.0L850.0 190.0L856.3 190.0L862.5 190.0L868.8 190.0L875.0 190.0L881.3 190.0L887.5 190.0L893.8 190.0L900.0 190.0L906.3 190.0L912.5 190.0L918.8 190.0L925.0 190.0L931.3 190.0L937.5 190.0L943.8 190.0L950.0 190.0L956.3 190.0L962.5 190.0L968.8 190.0L975.0 190.0L981.3 190.0L987.5 190.0L993.8 190.0L1000.0 190.0L1000 190L0 190Z\"\/><line class=\"mk\" id=\"ma-mk\" x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"0\" y2=\"190\"\/><\/svg><div class=\"tks\"><span style=\"left:0%\">2<\/span><span style=\"left:9.09%\">4<\/span><span style=\"left:18.18%\">6<\/span><span style=\"left:27.27%\">8<\/span><span style=\"left:36.36%\">10<\/span><span style=\"left:45.45%\">12<\/span><span style=\"left:54.55%\">14<\/span><span style=\"left:63.64%\">16<\/span><span style=\"left:72.73%\">18<\/span><span style=\"left:81.82%\">20<\/span><span style=\"left:90.91%\">22<\/span><span style=\"left:100%\">24<\/span><\/div><\/div><p class=\"ax\">centimeters<\/p><div class=\"sl\"><label for=\"ma-cm\"><span>Choose a length<\/span><b id=\"ma-cml\"><\/b><\/label><input type=\"range\" id=\"ma-cm\" min=\"2\" max=\"24\" step=\"0.5\" value=\"13\"><\/div><p class=\"rd\" id=\"ma-rd\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p><figcaption><span class=\"mhp-nrm\"><b>A smooth curve drawn from the average and spread<\/b> in a 2015 review of up to 15,521 men, so the far ends are approximate. Only 692 men were measured erect. A larger 2023 review of 55,761 men, all measured by clinicians, put the average erect length at 13.9 cm. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.<\/span><span class=\"mhp-pln\"><b>The curve is drawn from the average and spread<\/b> in a 2015 review of up to 15,521 men, so the very short and very long ends are only rough. Only 692 of the men were measured erect. A larger 2023 review of 55,761 men, all measured by clinicians, put the average erect length at 13.9 cm. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.<\/span><\/figcaption><script>(function(){var S={\"flaccid\":[9.16,1.57,10704],\"erect\":[13.12,1.66,692]};var f=document.getElementById(\"ma-size\");if(!f){return;}var r=document.getElementById(\"ma-cm\"),mk=document.getElementById(\"ma-mk\"),rd=document.getElementById(\"ma-rd\"),cl=document.getElementById(\"ma-cml\"),b=f.querySelectorAll(\".ra-seg button\"),v=\"erect\";function erf(x){var s=x<0?-1:1;x=Math.abs(x);var t=1\/(1+0.3275911*x);var y=1-(((((1.061405429*t-1.453152027)*t)+1.421413741)*t-0.284496736)*t+0.254829592)*t*Math.exp(-x*x);return s*y;}function show(){var c=parseFloat(r.value),m=S[v][0],sd=S[v][1],p=0.5*(1+erf((c-m)\/(sd*Math.SQRT2)));var n=Math.round(p*100);if(n<1){n=1;}if(n>99){n=99;}var tail=\" On this curve, about \"+n+\" in 100 men would be shorter than \"+c.toFixed(1)+\" cm, and about \"+(100-n)+\" in 100 longer.\";if(p<0.01){tail=\" Shorter than almost every man measured. At this end the numbers are only rough.\";}if(p>0.99){tail=\" Longer than almost every man measured. At this end the numbers are only rough.\";}var x=((c-2)\/22*1000).toFixed(1);mk.setAttribute(\"x1\",x);mk.setAttribute(\"x2\",x);cl.textContent=c.toFixed(1)+\" cm (\"+(c\/2.54).toFixed(1)+\" in)\";var wd=v;var rt=document.querySelector(\".mhp-post\");if(rt){if(rt.classList.contains(\"mhp-plain\")){if(v===\"flaccid\"){wd=\"soft\";}}}var avg=\"The average \"+wd+\" length measured was \"+m.toFixed(1)+\" cm.\";rd.textContent=avg+tail;}r.addEventListener(\"input\",show);for(var i=0;i<b.length;i++){b[i].addEventListener(\"click\",function(){v=this.getAttribute(\"data-v\");f.setAttribute(\"data-v\",v);for(var j=0;j<b.length;j++){b[j].setAttribute(\"aria-pressed\",b[j]===this?\"true\":\"false\");}r.value=v===\"erect\"?\"13\":\"9\";show();});}document.addEventListener(\"mhp-plain-change\",function(){show();});show();})();\/*>*\/<\/script><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Testosterone does fall with age, but slowly, by about 1.6% a year from middle age in one large study. Men in good health had higher levels than men in poorer health, so some of the drop is about health, not age alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">One low result on a blood test isn&#8217;t a diagnosis.<\/strong> A true deficiency means low testosterone together with sexual symptoms, and in a large study of men aged 40 to 79, only about 2 in 100 had both. Levels change through the day, so the test is usually done in the morning and repeated before anything is decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If a true deficiency is confirmed, treatment can help. In the largest safety trial so far, in men aged 45 to 80 with a raised risk of heart disease, testosterone didn&#8217;t lead to more heart attacks or strokes over about three years. An irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, sudden kidney problems, blood clots in the lungs and broken bones were more common, though, and the trial was partly funded by a company that makes testosterone gel. It&#8217;s a treatment for a diagnosis, not a pick-me-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Erections during sleep are usually a good sign. They happen on their own several times a night, closely linked to the dreaming stage of sleep called REM, and the morning erection is just the last one. <strong class=\"eqb\">If you still get them, the physical side is usually working<\/strong>, and trouble at other times may point to stress, anxiety or tiredness. It doesn&#8217;t rule out a physical cause, though, so if the difficulties keep happening, they&#8217;re still worth raising with a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If you have a semen test, your results are compared with men whose partners got pregnant within a year. The World Health Organization&#8217;s manual puts the lower end at about 1.4 milliliters of semen and about 16 million sperm per milliliter. <strong class=\"eqb\">Falling below those numbers doesn&#8217;t mean a man is infertile.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The prostate often grows with age. <strong class=\"eqb\">That&#8217;s extremely common, and it isn&#8217;t cancer.<\/strong> Because the prostate wraps around the urethra, a bigger one can change how you pee. You might need to go more often, especially at night, or notice a weaker or stop-start flow, or trouble getting started. Those changes are worth mentioning to a doctor, both because they can be treated and because they should be checked rather than assumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Men have breast tissue too, and it can grow when the balance between estrogen and testosterone shifts.<\/strong> This is called gynecomastia. It&#8217;s very common in puberty, where it usually settles within about three years, and common again after 60. Extra weight, heavy drinking, some medicines, and thyroid, liver or kidney problems can all play a part. So can anabolic steroids, which are synthetic versions of testosterone taken to build muscle, and are different from the steroid creams and inhalers used in medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It&#8217;s usually harmless. Still, a few signs deserve a check rather than a wait: a firm lump that doesn&#8217;t move, dimpled skin, a nipple turning inward, discharge or bleeding, or a lump under the arm. Breast cancer in men is rare, but those are the signs that need looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Sexual function changes with age, and most of those changes are ordinary rather than alarming.<\/strong> Erections take longer to arrive and need more direct touch. That&#8217;s a normal part of getting older, and it doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;ve lost interest. Erection problems get more common too. In one large study of men aged 40 to 79, about 3 in 10 had them, and only about 4 in 10 of those men said it worried them. In a stopwatch study across five countries, the typical time to finish during sex went from about six and a half minutes at 18 to 30 to about four and a quarter minutes after 51.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"testosterone-changes-gradually\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Testosterone changes gradually<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Testosterone does fall with age, but slowly. In one large study that followed the same men over time, it fell by about 1.6% a year in men followed from middle age. Your general health seems to matter too: men in good health had higher levels of several male hormones than men in poorer health, so some of the decline reflects health rather than age alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">A low number on a blood test isn&#8217;t the same as a condition.<\/strong> A true deficiency means low testosterone together with sexual symptoms, and in a large study of men aged 40 to 79, only about 2 in 100 had both. It was rarer in men in their fifties and more common in men in their seventies. Because levels change through the day, the test is usually done in the morning and repeated before anything is decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If a true deficiency is confirmed, treatment can help, and the largest safety trial so far is reassuring about the heart. In more than 5,000 men aged 45 to 80 with a raised risk of heart disease, testosterone didn&#8217;t lead to more heart attacks or strokes over about three years. An irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, sudden kidney problems, blood clots in the lungs and broken bones were more common, though, and the trial was partly funded by a company that makes testosterone gel. It&#8217;s a treatment for a diagnosis, not a pick-me-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"erections-at-night-are-a-good-sign\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Erections at night are a good sign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Waking up with an erection can feel random, but it&#8217;s usually a good sign. During sleep, erections happen on their own, several times a night by most accounts, and they&#8217;re closely tied to the dreaming stage of sleep called REM. They happen in healthy boys and men from early childhood into old age. The morning erection many men wake up with is simply the last one of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">This is why doctors sometimes ask about them. <strong class=\"eqb\">If erections still happen during sleep or on waking, the physical machinery is usually working.<\/strong> When there are difficulties at other times, that can point toward stress, anxiety or tiredness. It doesn&#8217;t rule out a physical cause, though, so if the difficulties keep happening, they&#8217;re still worth raising with a doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"what-about-semen\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">What about semen?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If you ever have a semen test, for example while trying for a baby, the results are compared with values from men whose partners became pregnant within a year. The World Health Organization&#8217;s current manual puts the lower end of that range at about 1.4 milliliters of semen and about 16 million sperm per milliliter. <strong class=\"eqb\">Those numbers are reference points, not a pass mark.<\/strong> Falling below them doesn&#8217;t mean a man is infertile, and the manual itself has moved away from treating them as cutoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"the-prostate-grows\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">The prostate grows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The prostate sits around the urethra, so when it grows it can press on the tube that urine passes through. <strong class=\"eqb\">That growth is extremely common, and it isn&#8217;t cancer.<\/strong> In autopsy studies, the changes behind it were found in half of men aged 51 to 60, and the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases calls it the most common prostate problem in men over 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It usually shows up as a change in peeing rather than pain: needing to go more often, especially at night, a weaker or stop-start flow, or trouble getting started. Those changes are worth mentioning to a doctor, both because they can be treated and because they should be checked rather than assumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"breast-tissue-is-not-unusual\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Breast tissue is not unusual<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Men have breast tissue too, and an imbalance between estrogen and testosterone can make it grow.<\/strong> The medical name is gynecomastia. It tends to show up at three times of life: in newborn babies, because of their mother&#8217;s hormones; in puberty, when it&#8217;s very common and usually settles within about three years; and after 60, when reported rates run from about a third to a half of men, depending on who was studied and how it was defined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">There are many possible causes. Carrying extra weight does two things at once: fat sits over the chest, and it also turns more testosterone into estrogen. Taking <span class=\"gl\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-describedby=\"gd-1\"><em class=\"eqi\">anabolic steroids<\/em><span class=\"gd\" role=\"tooltip\" id=\"gd-1\"><b>anabolic steroids<\/b>Synthetic versions of testosterone, taken to build muscle. They are not the same as the steroid creams and inhalers used in medicine, which are corticosteroids and work on inflammation.<\/span><\/span> is a known cause, for the same reason. So are some medicines, including spironolactone, the anti-androgens used for prostate cancer, finasteride and cimetidine, and so is heavy drinking. About one case in five is caused by medication, and thyroid, liver or kidney problems can be behind it too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It&#8217;s usually harmless. Still, a few signs deserve a check rather than a wait: a firm lump that doesn&#8217;t move, dimpled skin, a nipple turning inward, discharge or bleeding, or a lump under the arm. Breast cancer in men is rare, but those are the signs that need looking at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"what-changes-with-age\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">What changes with age<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Sexual function changes with age, and most of those changes are ordinary rather than alarming.<\/strong> Erections take longer to arrive and need more direct physical touch than they used to, which is a normal part of getting older rather than a sign of lost interest. Difficulties with erections become more common too. In a large study of men aged 40 to 79, around 3 in 10 reported them, and only about 4 in 10 of those men said it worried them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Timing changes as well. In a five-country study that timed intercourse with a stopwatch <span class=\"ra-aside\">(yes, an actual stopwatch)<\/span>, the typical time got shorter with age, from about six and a half minutes in men aged 18 to 30 to about four and a quarter minutes in men over 51.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">04<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20s-7.5-4.6-7.5-10.2A4.3 4.3 0 0 1 12 7.2a4.3 4.3 0 0 1 7.5 2.6C19.5 15.4 12 20 12 20zM8.5 12h2l1-2 1.5 4 1-2h1.5\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part four of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"now\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-4\">Mind and body<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">How stress, mood and health show up in the body, and why men wait to ask<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Maybe it happened once, and now you find yourself watching for it to happen again. An erection depends on nerves, blood flow and hormones, and also on your mind. Worry about sexual performance affects somewhere between about 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 men. It can cause erection problems or finishing too soon, and then keep them going, because <strong class=\"eqb\">the more you watch yourself for signs of failure, the harder it is for your body to respond<\/strong>. Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), along with mindfulness, are recommended for this, though few trials have tested them for it directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Erection problems are more common than most men think, and not only in older men. In one clinic, a quarter of the men newly diagnosed with them were 40 or younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">When you&#8217;re low, sex can become one more thing that feels hard, and when sex keeps going badly, it&#8217;s easy to feel low. <strong class=\"eqb\">Depression and erection problems often go together, in both directions.<\/strong> Men with erection problems are almost three times as likely to be depressed. So if you&#8217;re dealing with one, it&#8217;s worth mentioning the other to your doctor too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Erection problems can also be an early sign of trouble in the blood vessels. In a large study of men aged 55 and over, those who developed them were more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other heart and blood vessel problem in the years that followed. That isn&#8217;t a reason to panic about one difficult night. <strong class=\"eqb\">Ongoing erection problems are worth mentioning to a doctor, rather than simply living with them.<\/strong> It can feel awkward to bring up, but it lets your doctor check your heart and blood vessels too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">They&#8217;re also very treatable.<\/strong> Tablets such as sildenafil or tadalafil help many men, but taken with heart medicines called nitrates they can make blood pressure drop dangerously, so get them through a doctor or pharmacist rather than an unregulated website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">How you live matters, sometimes quickly.<\/strong> In a small study, a week of five-hour nights lowered young men&#8217;s daytime testosterone noticeably. Losing weight raises testosterone. Build up to about 160 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, which trials suggest helps, over six months, when erection problems come from inactivity, weight, blood pressure or heart disease. Smokers are about one and a half times as likely as non-smokers to have erection problems. Alcohol is less clear than the folklore suggests. A heavy night of drinking gets in the way at the time, but a review of population studies found no consistent link with regular drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Medicines can play a part too. If your desire has dropped or erections have become harder since you started a new medicine, look at the medicine cabinet before putting it down to stress or the relationship. Antidepressants are one of the most common causes, and finasteride, taken for hair loss, raises the risk of sexual side effects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:21px;line-height:1.68\">Beta blockers, a common heart and blood pressure medicine, have a worse reputation than their record. In one trial where men were all given the same beta blocker, sexual problems were reported by 3% of men who weren&#8217;t told which drug they were taking, and by 31% of men told its name and its sexual side effects. <strong class=\"eqb\">What you expect can shape what you feel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">None of this is a reason to stop a medicine on your own.<\/strong> Tell whoever prescribed it what you&#8217;ve noticed, even if it feels awkward to say. Keep taking it until you&#8217;ve talked, because some medicines, including some antidepressants, cause withdrawal symptoms if they&#8217;re stopped suddenly. Ask about the options, which are recognized and include reducing the dose gradually, changing the drug or trying something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Lots of men carry something around for months, a symptom or a low mood, and keep telling themselves it will pass. Men are less likely than women to see a doctor for a wide range of problems, and they tend to wait longer when they do, including for their mental health. What men learn about being a man plays a part. This is the part of men&#8217;s health that a therapy practice sees most often. According to the World Health Organization, more than 720,000 people die by suicide every year, and worldwide, <a href=\"\/suicidal-thoughts\/\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">men die at more than twice the rate of women<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Sexual problems get the same silence, for everyone. In a large survey of people aged 40 to 80, fewer than one in five of those with a sexual problem had asked a doctor for help.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"erections-are-sensitive-to-the-mind\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Erections are sensitive to the mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Maybe it happened once, and now you find yourself watching for it to happen again. An erection depends on nerves, blood flow and hormones, but also on what&#8217;s going on in your mind. Worry about sexual performance is common, affecting somewhere between about 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 men, and it can cause problems with erections, or with finishing sooner than you&#8217;d like, and then keep them going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">That watching is part of the problem. <strong class=\"eqb\">The more you watch yourself for signs of failure, the harder it becomes for your body to respond.<\/strong> Talking therapies such as <span class=\"gl\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-describedby=\"gd-2\"><em class=\"eqi\">cognitive behavioral therapy<\/em><span class=\"gd\" role=\"tooltip\" id=\"gd-2\"><b>cognitive behavioral therapy<\/b>A structured talking therapy that works on the links between thoughts, feelings and behavior, often with practical steps to try between sessions.<\/span><\/span>, along with mindfulness, are recommended for this kind of anxiety, though few trials have tested them for it directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Difficulties with erections are also far more common than most men assume, and not only in older men: in one clinic, a quarter of the men newly diagnosed with erection problems were 40 or younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"mood-and-erections-affect-each-other\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Mood and erections affect each other<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">When you&#8217;re low, sex can become one more thing that feels hard, and when sex keeps going badly, it&#8217;s easy to feel low. <strong class=\"eqb\">Depression and erection problems travel together in both directions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">A <span class=\"gl\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-describedby=\"gd-3\"><em class=\"eqi\">meta-analysis<\/em><span class=\"gd\" role=\"tooltip\" id=\"gd-3\"><b>meta-analysis<\/b>A study of studies: it pools the results of many studies on the same question to estimate how large an effect usually is, rather than relying on any single result.<\/span><\/span> of dozens of studies found that men with depression were more likely to have erection problems, and men with erection problems were almost three times as likely to be depressed. Which comes first isn&#8217;t clear, and for many men it&#8217;s probably both, each making the other harder. So if you&#8217;re dealing with one, it&#8217;s worth mentioning the other to your doctor too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"sometimes-it-is-the-heart-talking\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Sometimes it is the heart talking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Erection problems can also be an early sign of something in the blood vessels. In a large study of men aged 55 and over, those who developed erection problems were more likely to have heart and blood vessel problems, such as a heart attack or stroke, in the following years. The rise in risk was similar to smoking or a family history of heart attack. One explanation often given is that the penis has small blood vessels, where changes may show up before they do in larger ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">That isn&#8217;t a reason to panic about one difficult night. <strong class=\"eqb\">Ongoing erection problems are worth mentioning to a doctor, rather than simply living with them.<\/strong> It can feel awkward to bring up, but it lets your doctor check your heart and blood vessels too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Erection problems are also very treatable.<\/strong> Tablets such as sildenafil or tadalafil help many men, but taken with heart medicines called nitrates they can make blood pressure drop dangerously, so get them through a doctor or pharmacist rather than an unregulated website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"sleep-weight-and-the-rest-of-your-life\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Sleep, weight and the rest of your life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Testosterone and erections respond to how you live, sometimes quickly, which means some of this is in your hands.<\/strong> In a small study of ten young men, cutting sleep to five hours a night for a week lowered their daytime testosterone noticeably. Losing weight raises testosterone, and the more weight a man loses, the larger the rise. In a trial of obese men with erection problems, two years of changes to diet and activity improved erections for about a third of them. Smokers are about one and a half times as likely as non-smokers to have erection problems, and former smokers sit in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Alcohol is less clear than the folklore suggests. A heavy night gets in the way at the time, but a review of population studies found no consistent link between regular drinking and erection problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-bd3116f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#fcf0e6;border-radius:18px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:30px;padding:24px 28px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#72340f;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12.5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WHAT HELPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.568), 19px);line-height:1.7\">\n<li>Protect your sleep, because even one short week of too little can lower testosterone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you&#8217;re carrying extra weight, losing some can raise your testosterone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build up to about 160 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, which trials suggest helps, over six months, when erection problems come from inactivity, weight, blood pressure or heart disease.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you smoke, this is one more good reason to stop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"sometimes-it-is-the-medication\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Sometimes it is the medication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If your desire has dropped or erections have become harder since you started a new medicine, look at the medicine cabinet before putting it down to stress or the relationship. Antidepressants are one of the most common culprits. In one study, more than half of people whose sex lives were fine before they started one developed some sexual difficulty, and the rate varied enormously between drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Other medicines matter too. Finasteride, taken for hair loss, raises the risk of sexual side effects, antipsychotics differ widely from one another, and long-term opioid use is linked with low testosterone, although the evidence there is weaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Beta blockers, a common type of heart and blood pressure medicine, have a worse reputation than their record. Across large trials, they added only about one extra report of sexual difficulty for every 200 people treated for a year. In one trial where men were all given the same beta blocker, difficulties were reported by 3% of those who weren&#8217;t told which drug it was, and by 31% of those told its name and its sexual side effects. <strong class=\"eqb\">What you expect can shape what you feel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">None of this is a reason to stop a medicine on your own.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-bd3116f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#fcf0e6;border-radius:18px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:30px;padding:24px 28px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#72340f;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12.5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WHAT HELPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.568), 19px);line-height:1.7\">\n<li>Tell whoever prescribed it what you&#8217;ve noticed, even if it feels awkward to say.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep taking it until you&#8217;ve talked, because some medicines, including some antidepressants, cause withdrawal symptoms if they&#8217;re stopped suddenly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask about the options, which are recognized and include reducing the dose gradually, changing the drug or trying something else.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"why-men-wait-to-ask-for-help\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Why men wait to ask for help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Lots of men carry something around for months, a symptom or a low mood, and keep telling themselves it will pass. Men are less likely than women to see a doctor across a wide range of problems, and they tend to wait longer when they do. That includes mental health, where in one survey the gap was widest for the men who were struggling most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">What men learn about being a man plays a part. A review of dozens of studies found that traditional ideas of masculinity affect how symptoms show up, whether a man seeks help, and what he does with treatment once he has it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">This is the part of men&#8217;s health that a therapy practice sees most often. More than 720,000 people die by suicide every year, and worldwide, <a href=\"\/suicidal-thoughts\/\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">men die at more than twice the rate of women<\/a>, according to the World Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">The same silence surrounds sexual problems, for everyone. In a large survey of people aged 40 to 80, fewer than one in five of those with a sexual problem had asked a doctor for help, men and women alike, and fewer than one in ten had been asked about it by a doctor in the previous three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Depression may also look different in men, showing up as anger, risk-taking or drinking as well as, or instead of, sadness, although that research is contested and still developing. <strong class=\"eqb\">A difficult stretch is a reason to talk to a therapist or doctor, not to wait it out.<\/strong> You don&#8217;t need to be in crisis to deserve help! If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, contact your doctor, your local emergency number or a crisis line straight away. If you don&#8217;t know where to start, you can find the crisis lines and emergency numbers for your country on <a href=\"\/crisis-helplines\/\" style=\"color:#98461c;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1.5px;text-decoration-color:#f0cdb3\">our helplines page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">05<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M4 4.5h16v11.5H9.5L4 20.3zM9.8 8.6a2.2 2.2 0 1 1 3.3 1.9c-.7.4-1.1.9-1.1 1.7M12 13.8v.3\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part five of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"now\"><\/i><i class=\"\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-5\">Everything you were too afraid to ask<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">Plain answers to the questions men rarely say out loud<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">These are the questions men most often keep to themselves. Open any of them for a short answer.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mhp-keep\" style=\"margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:20px\"><div class=\"ra-faq\" id=\"ra-faq\"><div class=\"all\"><button type=\"button\" id=\"ra-fa\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"ra-faq\">Open all<\/button><\/div><details id=\"q-1\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Is my penis a normal size?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Almost certainly. When professionals do the measuring, the average erect length is about 13 centimeters, a little over 5 inches, and most men are close to that. Size when soft also changes from moment to moment, with warmth, cold and nerves. If the worry is affecting your confidence or your relationships, that&#8217;s worth talking about in its own right.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Almost certainly. When professionals measure, the average erect length is about 13 centimeters, a little over 5 inches, and most men are close to that. Soft size changes all the time with warmth, cold and nerves. If the worry is affecting your confidence or your relationships, that&#8217;s worth talking about in its own right.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-2\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Is it normal for one testicle to hang lower than the other?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Yes. It&#8217;s very common for one testicle to hang lower than the other, and for one to be slightly larger. What matters is noticing changes over time, such as a new lump, swelling or a feeling of heaviness, rather than differences that have always been there.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Yes. It&#8217;s very common for one to hang lower, or to be a little bigger. What matters is noticing changes over time, such as a new lump, swelling or a feeling of heaviness, rather than differences that have always been there.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-3\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Does testosterone just disappear as you get older?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>No. It falls gradually rather than dropping away, and your general health makes a real difference to where it lands. Most older men don&#8217;t have the combination of low testosterone and symptoms that defines a true deficiency. If you&#8217;re tired, your sex drive is low or your mood is down, there are many possible causes, and they deserve a proper look rather than an assumption.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>No. It falls slowly, and your general health makes a real difference to where it lands. Most older men don&#8217;t have the combination of low testosterone and symptoms that defines a true deficiency. If you&#8217;re tired, your sex drive is low or your mood is down, there are many possible causes, and they deserve a proper look rather than an assumption.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-4\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Are erections in my sleep normal?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Yes, and they&#8217;re a good sign. Healthy men have erections several times a night during dreaming sleep, and a morning erection is simply the last one. If you have them, the physical side of erections is usually working, although that alone doesn&#8217;t rule out a physical cause for difficulties at other times.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Yes, and they&#8217;re a good sign. Healthy men have several a night while dreaming, and the morning one is just the last. If you have them, the physical side is usually working, although that alone doesn&#8217;t rule out a physical cause for difficulties at other times.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-5\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Does one bad night mean something is wrong?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>No. Almost every man has times when his body doesn&#8217;t respond the way he wanted, often because of tiredness, alcohol, stress or nerves. It&#8217;s worth talking to a doctor if it keeps happening, because ongoing difficulties can have treatable causes, and some of them involve the heart.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>No. Almost every man has nights like that, often from tiredness, alcohol, stress or nerves. It&#8217;s worth talking to a doctor if it keeps happening, because ongoing difficulties can have treatable causes, and some of them involve the heart.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-6\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Where does semen actually come from?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Mostly not from the testes. Sperm make up only a small part of it. Around 70% of the fluid comes from the seminal vesicles and much of the rest from the prostate, which is why semen looks much the same after a vasectomy.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Mostly not from the testes. Sperm are only a small part of it. Around 70% comes from the seminal vesicles, two small glands behind the bladder, and much of the rest from the prostate. That&#8217;s why semen looks much the same after a vasectomy.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-7\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>What is a varicocele?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>It&#8217;s a swelling of the veins in the scrotum, a little like a varicose vein. It&#8217;s found in about 15% of healthy men, usually on the left, and many men never know they have one. It&#8217;s worth having it checked if it aches or if you&#8217;re having trouble conceiving, since it&#8217;s found more often in men seen at fertility clinics.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>It&#8217;s a swelling of the veins in the scrotum, a little like a varicose vein. About 15 in 100 healthy men have one, usually on the left, and many never know. It&#8217;s worth having it checked if it aches or if you&#8217;re having trouble conceiving, since it&#8217;s found more often in men seen at fertility clinics.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-8\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Is it normal if the foreskin does not pull back?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>In young boys, yes. A tight foreskin is normal early in childhood and often lasts longer, loosening gradually over the years. In adults, a foreskin that has become tight, sore or hard to pull back is worth seeing a doctor about. One situation is urgent. If the foreskin has been pulled back and won&#8217;t go forward again over the head of the penis, and the end becomes swollen and painful, that&#8217;s called paraphimosis. <strong class=\"eqb\">It&#8217;s a medical emergency, so go to an emergency department straight away!<\/strong><\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>In young boys, yes. A tight foreskin is normal in early childhood and often lasts longer, loosening bit by bit over the years. In adults, a foreskin that has become tight, sore or hard to pull back is worth seeing a doctor about. One situation is urgent. If the foreskin has been pulled back and won&#8217;t go forward again over the head of the penis, and the end becomes swollen and painful, that&#8217;s called paraphimosis. <strong class=\"eqb\">It&#8217;s a medical emergency, so go to an emergency department straight away!<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-9\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>How often should I check my testicles?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>There&#8217;s no fixed rule. Screening programs aren&#8217;t recommended for men without symptoms, but getting to know how your testicles normally look and feel makes it much easier to notice a change. Many men find that a quick check in a warm shower, about once a month, is enough.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>There&#8217;s no fixed rule. Routine screening isn&#8217;t recommended for men without symptoms, but knowing how your testicles normally look and feel makes a change much easier to notice. For many men, a quick check in a warm shower about once a month is enough.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-10\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Does taking testosterone affect my fertility?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Yes, and often dramatically. Testosterone taken from outside the body switches off the signals that keep sperm production going. In one study of men attending a fertility clinic while taking it, almost 9 in 10 had no sperm at all in their semen. Most men recover after stopping. In trials with healthy volunteers, about two thirds had recovered within six months and 9 in 10 within a year, although a minority took up to two years.<\/p><p><strong class=\"eqb\">If you might want children, talk to a doctor before starting testosterone.<\/strong> Guidelines say your fertility should be assessed first, that you should be told what testosterone does to sperm, and that there are treatments which can raise testosterone while protecting sperm production. One endocrine guideline goes further and advises against starting testosterone at all for men planning to have children soon.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Yes, often a lot. Testosterone taken from outside the body switches off the signals that keep sperm production going. In one study of men at a fertility clinic who were taking it, almost 9 in 10 had no sperm at all in their semen. Most men recover after stopping. In trials with healthy volunteers, about two thirds had recovered within six months and 9 in 10 within a year, but a few took up to two years.<\/p><p><strong class=\"eqb\">If you might want children, talk to a doctor before starting testosterone.<\/strong> Guidelines say your fertility should be assessed first, that you should be told what testosterone does to sperm, and that there are treatments which can raise testosterone while protecting sperm production. One endocrine guideline, from hormone specialists, goes further and advises against starting testosterone at all for men planning to have children soon.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-11\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>What do anabolic steroids do to the testes?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>The same thing, usually more strongly. Steroids suppress the signals from the brain, which shrinks the testes and reduces sperm production. After stopping, the brain&#8217;s signals gradually return within a few months, but in a review of studies, testosterone was still lower than before about four months after stopping, and some men take considerably longer.<\/p><p>There&#8217;s also evidence that the cells that make testosterone can still be affected years later. And this isn&#8217;t a rare habit: an estimated 1 in 16 men, in studies around the world, have used anabolic steroids at some point.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>The same thing, usually more strongly. Steroids block the signals from the brain, so the testes shrink and make fewer sperm. The signals gradually come back within a few months of stopping. But in a review of studies, testosterone was still lower than before about four months after stopping, and some men take a lot longer. There&#8217;s also evidence that the cells that make testosterone can still be affected years later. Studies around the world estimate that about 1 in 16 men have used anabolic steroids at some point.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-12\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>I finish sooner than I want. Is that normal?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>It&#8217;s very common, and how common depends on how the question is asked. In one large survey, almost a quarter of men said they finish too soon. In another study, one in five men complained about it, but only about 2 in 100 men met the strict definition of the lifelong condition, which is finishing within about a minute, nearly every time, since the first sexual experience.<\/p><p>For context, in the stopwatch study the typical time was about five and a half minutes, and the spread was enormous. If it bothers you, the stop-start and squeeze methods, which a doctor or a sex therapist can teach, have some trial evidence behind them, and combining them with medication works a little better than medication alone. Talking therapy for it has barely been tested, although anxiety about performance often keeps the problem going.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>It&#8217;s very common, and how common depends on how the question is asked. In one large survey, almost a quarter of men said they finish too soon. In another study, one in five men complained about it, but only about 2 in 100 met the strict definition of the lifelong condition. That means finishing within about a minute, nearly every time, ever since the first sexual experience. In the stopwatch study, the typical time was about five and a half minutes, and it varied hugely.<\/p><p>If it bothers you, a doctor or sex therapist can teach the stop-start and squeeze methods, which have some trial evidence behind them. Combining them with medication works a little better than medication alone. Talking therapy for it has hardly been tested, though worry about performance often keeps the problem going.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-13\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>My penis curves. Is that a problem?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>A curve is only a problem if it causes pain, makes sex difficult or upsets you. A curve that has been there since your teens is usually congenital curvature, which means it&#8217;s how you were made. That&#8217;s different from Peyronie&#8217;s disease, where scar tissue forms in the penis and a curve develops later in life, often with pain.<\/p><p>Peyronie&#8217;s is more common than its diagnosis rate suggests. In one survey, fewer than 1 in 100 men had been diagnosed with it, while about 1 in 10 reported symptoms of it, and in another, most of the men who sought help for penile symptoms left without the diagnosis. So if a curve is new, it&#8217;s worth raising it with a doctor. Treatments exist, including injections and surgery, and the guidelines specifically advise against the vitamin E and other oral remedies sold for it.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Only if it hurts, makes sex difficult or upsets you. A curve that&#8217;s been there since your teens is usually congenital curvature, which means it&#8217;s how you were made. Peyronie&#8217;s disease is different. Scar tissue forms in the penis and a curve develops later in life, often with pain. It&#8217;s more common than diagnoses suggest. In one survey, fewer than 1 in 100 men had been diagnosed with it, but about 1 in 10 reported symptoms. So if a curve is new, it&#8217;s worth raising it with a doctor. Treatments exist, including injections and surgery, and the guidelines specifically advise against the vitamin E and other oral remedies sold for it.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-14\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>What is circumcision, and how common is it?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>It&#8217;s surgery that removes the foreskin. Worldwide, nearly two in five men are circumcised, and about half of those circumcisions are done for religious or cultural reasons. Medically, it&#8217;s used for problems such as repeated infections, or a foreskin that&#8217;s too tight and is causing pain or difficulty. Being circumcised or not isn&#8217;t a health problem in itself.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>It&#8217;s an operation that removes the foreskin. Worldwide, nearly two in five men are circumcised, about half of them for religious or cultural reasons. Doctors use it for problems such as repeated infections, or a foreskin that&#8217;s too tight and causing pain or difficulty. Being circumcised or not isn&#8217;t a health problem in itself.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-15\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Should I get tested for infections, and does it hurt?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>If you&#8217;ve had sex with a new partner without a condom, yes, whether or not anything feels wrong. Most sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know. It&#8217;s usually a urine sample or a swab, often one you take yourself, and it takes minutes. If you have no symptoms, some infections take a few weeks to show up on a test, so the clinic may suggest when to test, or to test again later. The exception is a possible exposure to HIV: <strong class=\"eqb\">medicine taken within 72 hours can prevent it<\/strong>, so go straight away.<\/p><p>Clinics do this all day long and won&#8217;t be surprised by anything you say. In many countries sexual health clinics are confidential, and you don&#8217;t have to involve your regular doctor.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>If you&#8217;ve had sex with a new partner without a condom, yes, whether or not anything feels wrong. Most infections cause no symptoms, so a test is the only way to know. It&#8217;s usually a urine sample or a swab, often one you take yourself, and it takes minutes. If you have no symptoms, some infections take a few weeks to show up on a test, so the clinic may suggest when to test, or to test again later. The exception is a possible exposure to HIV: <strong class=\"eqb\">medicine taken within 72 hours can prevent it<\/strong>, so go straight away.<\/p><p>Clinics do this all day long and won&#8217;t be surprised by anything you say. In many countries sexual health clinics are confidential, and you don&#8217;t have to involve your regular doctor.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-16\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>My medication seems to have affected my sex life. What should I do?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Tell whoever prescribed it, and don&#8217;t stop taking it on your own. Antidepressants are one of the most common causes, and the drugs differ a lot, so a change is often possible.<\/p><p>It&#8217;s worth saying out loud even if it feels awkward. Most people on antidepressants don&#8217;t mention the problem unless they&#8217;re asked directly, so your prescriber may not know unless you tell them. For a small number of people, difficulties carry on after stopping an SSRI, a common type of antidepressant. That&#8217;s recognized: it&#8217;s noted in the diagnostic manual, and European and Canadian regulators have asked for it to be added to drug labels. How often it happens is still unknown, and the only published estimate comes from a single database study.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Tell whoever prescribed it, and don&#8217;t stop taking it on your own. Antidepressants are one of the most common causes, and they differ a lot, so a change is often possible.<\/p><p>It&#8217;s worth saying out loud even if it feels awkward. Most people on antidepressants don&#8217;t mention the problem unless they&#8217;re asked directly, so your prescriber may not know unless you tell them. For a small number of people, sexual problems carry on after stopping an SSRI, a common type of antidepressant. It&#8217;s noted in the diagnostic manual, and European and Canadian regulators have asked for it to be added to drug labels. How often it happens is still unknown.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-17\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>Should I have a PSA test?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>It depends on your age, your family history and how you feel about the trade-off, which is why the usual advice is to decide with a doctor rather than to ask for it automatically. The test can find cancer early. It can also be raised for harmless reasons, and it finds cancers that would never have caused trouble, with treatment that carries real costs, including incontinence and erection problems.<\/p><p>If you have a family history of prostate, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer, or you&#8217;re Black, your risk is higher and that conversation is worth having sooner.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>PSA is a blood test that can find prostate cancer early. Whether to have one depends on your age, your family history and how you feel about the trade-off, which is why the usual advice is to decide with a doctor rather than to ask for it automatically. It can also be raised for harmless reasons, and it finds cancers that would never have caused trouble, with treatment that carries real costs, including incontinence, which means leaking urine, and erection problems.<\/p><p>If you have a family history of prostate, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer, or you&#8217;re Black, your risk is higher and that conversation is worth having sooner.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><details id=\"q-18\"><summary><span class=\"qb\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 46 42\"><path d=\"M23 3C11.4 3 4 9.8 4 18.2c0 4.8 2.5 9 6.5 11.7L8.6 38l8.8-4.4c1.8.4 3.6.6 5.6.6 11.6 0 19-6.8 19-15.2S34.6 3 23 3z\"\/><\/svg><i class=\"q\">?<\/i><i class=\"x\">!<\/i><\/span><p hidden><\/p><span>I have breast tissue. Is something wrong?<\/span><span class=\"pl\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\"><path d=\"M6 1.5v9M1.5 6h9\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p hidden><\/p><\/summary><div class=\"an\"><div class=\"mhp-nrm\"><p>Usually not. Men have breast tissue, and it can grow when the balance between estrogen and testosterone shifts. It&#8217;s very common in puberty and usually settles within a few years, and it&#8217;s common again after 60. Weight, alcohol, anabolic steroids and a long list of medicines can all play a part.<\/p><p>See a doctor if you notice a firm lump that doesn&#8217;t move, dimpled skin, a nipple turning inward, discharge or bleeding, or a lump under the arm. Breast cancer in men is rare, but those signs should be checked.<\/p><\/div><div class=\"mhp-pln\"><p>Usually not. Men have breast tissue, and it&#8217;s very common for it to grow in puberty, when it usually settles within a few years, and again after 60. Weight, alcohol, anabolic steroids and many medicines can all play a part.<\/p><p>See a doctor if you notice a firm lump that doesn&#8217;t move, dimpled skin, a nipple turning inward, discharge or bleeding, or a lump under the arm. Breast cancer in men is rare, but those signs should be checked.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/details><script>(function(){var b=document.getElementById(\"ra-fa\");if(!b){return;}var d=document.querySelectorAll(\"#ra-faq details\");b.addEventListener(\"click\",function(){var open=b.textContent===\"Open all\";for(var i=0;i<d.length;i++){d[i].open=open;}b.textContent=open?\"Close all\":\"Open all\";b.setAttribute(\"aria-expanded\",open?\"true\":\"false\");});})();\/*>*\/<\/script><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:92px;margin-bottom:34px\"><div class=\"ra-part\"><div class=\"wm\" aria-hidden=\"true\">06<\/div><div class=\"ic\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M6.5 3v5.5a3.5 3.5 0 0 0 7 0V3M10 12v2.5a4.5 4.5 0 0 0 9 0V12M19 12a2 2 0 1 0 0-4 2 2 0 0 0 0 4z\"\/><\/svg><\/div><div class=\"tx\"><div class=\"meta\"><p class=\"lb\">Part six of six<\/p><span class=\"tk\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"past\"><\/i><i class=\"now\"><\/i><\/span><\/div><h2 id=\"part-6\">Checking in with your body<\/h2><p class=\"sb\">Getting to know what is normal for you, and when to see a doctor<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Checking your own body can feel awkward, or even a little scary. It&#8217;s worth doing anyway. Testicular cancer is uncommon overall, but worldwide it&#8217;s one of the most common cancers in young men, and one of the most treatable. <strong class=\"eqb\">Where treatment is easy to get, more than 9 in 10 new cases are cured, and most are first noticed by men themselves or their partners.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">A testicle should feel smooth and firm. The soft, coiled ridge along the back is the epididymis. It&#8217;s supposed to be there, and it&#8217;s a common cause of false alarms. You don&#8217;t need a strict monthly routine. In the United States, screening guidance doesn&#8217;t recommend routine checks for men without symptoms, while the UK&#8217;s National Health Service advises checking regularly, around once a month, so you know what&#8217;s normal for you. Both come down to knowing your body well enough to notice a change, because a change is what matters. The quick check below shows how.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"getting-to-know-what-is-normal-for-you\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Getting to know what is normal for you<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Checking your own body can feel awkward, or even a little scary. It&#8217;s worth doing anyway, because testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers there is. It&#8217;s uncommon overall, but worldwide it&#8217;s one of the most common cancers in young men, especially of European ancestry, and on US figures it&#8217;s the most common in men aged 15 to 34. <strong class=\"eqb\">More than 9 in 10 newly diagnosed cases are cured where treatment is readily available, and most are first noticed by men themselves or their partners.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">A testicle should feel smooth and firm, with the soft, coiled tube of the epididymis along the back of it. That ridge is supposed to be there, and it&#8217;s a common cause of a false alarm. The aim is to know your own body, not to follow a strict monthly routine. In the United States, official screening guidance doesn&#8217;t recommend routine examinations for men without symptoms, while the UK&#8217;s National Health Service advises checking regularly, around once a month, so you know what&#8217;s normal for you. The two fit together: knowing your body makes a change easier to notice, and a change is what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:40px;margin-bottom:48px\"><figure class=\"ra-fig ra-sc\" id=\"ma-check\"><div class=\"hd\"><p class=\"ti\">A quick check<\/p><p class=\"q\">Getting to know what is normal for you, in a warm shower or bath<\/p><\/div><ol><li><span class=\"n\">1<\/span><div><p class=\"h\">Choose a relaxed moment<\/p><p class=\"t\">A warm shower or bath is easiest, when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"n\">2<\/span><div><p class=\"h\">One at a time<\/p><p class=\"t\">Hold the scrotum in your palm and check each testicle separately.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"n\">3<\/span><div><p class=\"h\">Roll it gently<\/p><p class=\"t\">Roll each testicle between your thumb and fingers. It should feel smooth and firm, but not hard.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"n\">4<\/span><div><p class=\"h\">Find the epididymis<\/p><p class=\"t\">The soft, coiled tube along the back is the epididymis. It is supposed to be there, and it is not a lump.<\/p><\/div><\/li><li><span class=\"n\">5<\/span><div><p class=\"h\">Notice changes<\/p><p class=\"t\">Look out for a new lump, swelling, a change in size or feel, or a feeling of heaviness, and see a doctor if you find one.<\/p><\/div><\/li><\/ol><figcaption><b>Not a test you can pass or fail.<\/b> The point is familiarity, so that a change stands out. If you notice one, see a doctor rather than checking again and again.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-pl has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-plk wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:38px;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">In plain words<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\"><strong class=\"eqb\">Most sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms at all<\/strong>, so you usually wouldn&#8217;t know if you had one. They&#8217;re also very common. The World Health Organization estimates that more than a million curable infections are passed on every day worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">When there are symptoms, they&#8217;re usually discharge from the penis, burning when you pee, pain or swelling in a testicle, or sores, lumps or a rash around the genitals or anus. Chlamydia can cause a painful infection in the epididymis, which in rare cases affects fertility. Syphilis deserves special care, because its early sore is painless and heals on its own, and its rash fades without treatment, while the infection stays and can damage organs decades later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Testing is easier than most men expect. It&#8217;s usually a urine sample or a swab, often one you take yourself, and the common bacterial infections are cured with antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.568), 19px);line-height:1.7\">\n<li>Get tested after sex with a new partner without a condom, even if you feel fine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you think you&#8217;ve been exposed to HIV, don&#8217;t wait: medicine taken within 72 hours can prevent it, so go to a sexual health clinic or an emergency department straight away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With no symptoms, some infections take a few weeks to show up on a test, so the clinic may suggest when to test, or to test again later. With symptoms, go sooner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use condoms consistently and correctly. They&#8217;re among the most effective protections, although they can&#8217;t fully cover infections that cause sores on skin outside the condom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. It usually grows slowly and often causes no symptoms early on. Autopsy studies of men who died of something else found it in more than half of men over 79, so <strong class=\"eqb\">a great many men die with prostate cancer, not of it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">That&#8217;s why screening isn&#8217;t simple. The PSA blood test can find cancer early, but a raised result often has another cause, such as an enlarged prostate, and screening also finds cancers that would never have caused harm. In the European screening trial, after 23 years, one prostate cancer death was prevented for every 456 men invited, and 12 extra cancers were diagnosed for every death prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Advice differs by country. European urology guidelines suggest offering well-informed men a choice about testing from 50, or from 45 for men of African descent or with a family history of prostate cancer diagnosed before 60, or from 40 for men who carry a BRCA2 gene change. In the United States, men aged 55 to 69 are advised to decide with their clinician, and screening isn&#8217;t recommended for men over 70. The United Kingdom has no general screening program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Risk rises with age and with a family history, and it&#8217;s higher for Black men. In England, about 1 in 4 Black men are diagnosed in their lifetime, compared with about 1 in 8 White men. If you&#8217;re Black or have a family history, it&#8217;s worth talking to a doctor about PSA testing sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"infections-are-usually-silent\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Infections are usually silent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">It&#8217;s natural to assume you&#8217;d know if you had picked something up, but usually you wouldn&#8217;t. <strong class=\"eqb\">Most sexually transmitted infections cause no symptoms at all<\/strong>, and that&#8217;s the single most useful thing to know about them. They&#8217;re also very common: the World Health Organization estimates that more than a million curable infections are passed on every day worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">When symptoms do appear, they&#8217;re usually discharge from the penis, burning when you pee, pain or swelling in a testicle, or sores, lumps or a rash around the genitals or anus. Chlamydia can cause a painful infection in the epididymis, which in rare cases affects fertility. Syphilis deserves special care, because its early sore is painless and heals on its own, and its rash fades without treatment, while the infection stays and can damage organs decades later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Testing is easier than most men expect, usually a urine sample or a swab you can often take yourself, and the common bacterial infections are cured with antibiotics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background mhp-n has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-bd3116f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#fcf0e6;border-radius:18px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:30px;padding:24px 28px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#72340f;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12.5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WHAT HELPS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.568), 19px);line-height:1.7\">\n<li>Get tested after sex with a new partner without a condom, even if you feel fine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you think you&#8217;ve been exposed to HIV, don&#8217;t wait: medicine taken within 72 hours can prevent it, so go to a sexual health clinic or an emergency department straight away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With no symptoms, some infections take a few weeks to show up on a test, so the clinic may suggest when to test, or to test again later. With symptoms, go sooner.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use condoms consistently and correctly. They&#8217;re among the most effective protections, although they can&#8217;t fully cover infections that cause sores on skin outside the condom.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n\" id=\"prostate-cancer-and-the-psa-test\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Prostate cancer and the PSA test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. It usually grows slowly, and it often causes no symptoms early on, because it tends to start in the outer part of the gland rather than around the urethra. When researchers pooled autopsy studies of men who died of something else, they found prostate cancer in about 1 in 20 men under 30, rising to more than half of men over 79. <strong class=\"eqb\">A great many men die with prostate cancer rather than of it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">That&#8217;s why screening isn&#8217;t simple. The PSA blood test can find cancer early, but a raised result often has another explanation, such as an enlarged prostate, and screening also finds cancers that would never have caused harm. In the European screening trial, after 23 years, one prostate cancer death was prevented for every 456 men invited, and for every death prevented, 12 extra cancers were diagnosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Guidance differs by country. In Europe, the urology guidelines suggest offering well-informed men a choice about testing from 50, or from 45 for men of African descent or with a family history of prostate cancer diagnosed before 60, or from 40 for men who carry a BRCA2 gene change, and usually an MRI scan before deciding on a biopsy. In the United States, men aged 55 to 69 are advised to make an individual decision with their clinician, and screening isn&#8217;t recommended for men over 70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">In the United Kingdom there&#8217;s no general screening program. In March 2026, the UK National Screening Committee recommended PSA testing every two years only for men aged 45 to 61 who carry a BRCA2 variant, a gene change linked to some cancers, and who also have a family history of certain cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-n wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Risk rises with age and with a family history, and it&#8217;s higher for Black men. In England, about 1 in 8 White men and about 1 in 4 Black men are diagnosed during their lifetime, and Black men have roughly double the risk of dying from it. In that same analysis, once men were diagnosed, the risk of dying didn&#8217;t differ by ethnicity. If you&#8217;re Black or have a family history, it&#8217;s worth talking to a doctor about PSA testing sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep\" id=\"changes-worth-checking\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Changes worth checking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">None of the following means something is necessarily wrong, and you won&#8217;t be wasting anyone&#8217;s time by asking. <strong class=\"eqb\">Each one is worth raising with a doctor rather than waiting to see if it passes<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"mhp-keep\" style=\"margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:32px\"><div class=\"ra-dr\"><p class=\"k\">Worth checking with a doctor<\/p><ul><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20.5a7 7 0 1 0 0-14 7 7 0 0 0 0 14zM13.5 11.5a1.8 1.8 0 1 1-3.6 0 1.8 1.8 0 0 1 3.6 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>A lump, swelling or change in the size or feel of a testicle<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 21a8.5 8.5 0 1 0 0-17 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 0 17zM12 8v4.5l3 2\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>A dull ache or heaviness in the scrotum that does not go away<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20s-7.5-4.6-7.5-10.2A4.3 4.3 0 0 1 12 7.2a4.3 4.3 0 0 1 7.5 2.6C19.5 15.4 12 20 12 20z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Erection problems that keep happening<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 3.5c3.2 4 5.5 7.3 5.5 10.2a5.5 5.5 0 0 1-11 0C6.5 10.8 8.8 7.5 12 3.5zM12 9.5v3.5M12 15.5v.1\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Pain or burning when you urinate, or blood in your urine or semen<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 3.5c3.2 4 5.5 7.3 5.5 10.2a5.5 5.5 0 0 1-11 0C6.5 10.8 8.8 7.5 12 3.5zM9.5 14.5c.3 1.5 1.3 2.3 2.7 2.4\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Needing to urinate much more often, or a weak or stop-start flow<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 21a8.5 8.5 0 1 0 0-17 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 0 17zM9 12h6\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>A tight foreskin that is sore or hard to pull back<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 21a8.5 8.5 0 1 0 0-17 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 0 17zM8.5 15.5c1.8-1.6 5.2-1.6 7 0M9 10h.01M15 10h.01\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Low sex drive, tiredness or low mood that lasts<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M13 3L5.5 13.5H11L10 21l7.5-10.5H12z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>A new curve in the penis, or one that is painful or makes sex difficult<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20.5a7 7 0 1 0 0-14 7 7 0 0 0 0 14zM13.5 11.5a1.8 1.8 0 1 1-3.6 0 1.8 1.8 0 0 1 3.6 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>A firm lump in the chest or under the arm, dimpled skin, a nipple turning inward, or discharge or bleeding from a nipple<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 21a8.5 8.5 0 1 0 0-17 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 0 17zM12 8v4.5l3 2\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Low mood, or thoughts of harming yourself, which deserve help straight away<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20s-7.5-4.6-7.5-10.2A4.3 4.3 0 0 1 12 7.2a4.3 4.3 0 0 1 7.5 2.6C19.5 15.4 12 20 12 20z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Sudden, severe pain in a testicle, which needs emergency care straight away<\/p><\/li><li><span class=\"i\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.6\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><path d=\"M12 20.5a7 7 0 1 0 0-14 7 7 0 0 0 0 14zM13.5 11.5a1.8 1.8 0 1 1-3.6 0 1.8 1.8 0 0 1 3.6 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><p>Testicle pain and swelling that build over a day or two, especially with a fever<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">If you&#8217;d rather this didn&#8217;t end up on a record your family or employer could see, or there&#8217;s no doctor you can reach or afford, a sexual health clinic is often the easier door. In many countries they&#8217;re free and confidential, and a pharmacist can help you work out how soon you need to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep\" id=\"sudden-pain-cannot-wait\" style=\"color:#1d5f66;margin-top:72px;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">Sudden pain cannot wait<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Sudden, severe pain in a testicle can be a sign of torsion, where a testicle twists and cuts off its own blood supply. <strong class=\"eqb\">Torsion is an emergency, and every hour counts.<\/strong> In a review of studies, almost all testicles were saved when treatment began within six hours, and the chances fell steadily after that. If it happens to you, go to an emergency department straight away, even in the middle of the night. Don&#8217;t wait to see if it settles!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family mhp-keep wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Two other things can&#8217;t wait either. <strong class=\"eqb\">An erection that lasts more than 3 to 4 hours needs treating in hospital<\/strong> to avoid permanent damage, so ask someone to take you to an emergency department or call an ambulance rather than driving yourself. And if you suddenly can&#8217;t pee at all, even though your bladder feels full, get emergency care straight away.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d12c95ff wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f86ed65e wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#fbf4e6;border-color:#eedcb9;border-width:1.5px;border-style:solid;border-radius:20px;margin-top:46px;margin-bottom:46px;padding:34px 38px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#15474d;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WORTH BEING CLEAR ABOUT<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:26px;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">Much of this research comes from a small number of countries, and some of it, such as the studies of erection problems, used different definitions that make exact figures hard to compare. Guidance on screening differs between countries, and some of it is being updated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#2a2622;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14.082px, 0.88rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.786), 21px);line-height:1.68\">This article is a general introduction. It can&#8217;t tell you whether your own body is working as it should, and anything that worries you is worth raising with a doctor, however small or embarrassing it seems.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69c879e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#faf8f3;border-color:#e8e1d5;border-width:1.5px;border-style:solid;border-radius:18px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:44px;padding:30px 34px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#6b6259;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">REFERENCES<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" style=\"color:#524a42;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.17), 15.5px);line-height:1.7\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0003-066X.58.1.5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Addis, M. 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N., Matsumoto, A. M., Snyder, P. J., Swerdloff, R. S., Wu, F. C., &amp; Yialamas, M. A. (2018). Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. <em>Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 103<\/em>(5), 1715-1744.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5055\/jom.2015.0274\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Birthi, P., Nagar, V. R., Nickerson, R., &amp; Sloan, P. A. (2015). Hypogonadism associated with long-term opioid therapy: A systematic review. <em>Journal of Opioid Management, 11<\/em>(3), 255-278.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/life11121368\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Boitrelle, F., Shah, R., Saleh, R., Henkel, R., Kandil, H., Chung, E., Vogiatzi, P., Zini, A., Arafa, M., &amp; Agarwal, A. (2021). The sixth edition of the WHO manual for human semen analysis: A critical review and SWOT analysis. <em>Life, 11<\/em>(12), Article 1368.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.juro.2018.05.004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Burnett, A. L., Nehra, A., Breau, R. H., Culkin, D. J., Faraday, M. M., Hakim, L. S., Heidelbaugh, J., Khera, M., McVary, K. T., Miner, M. M., Nelson, C. J., Sadeghi-Nejad, H., Seftel, A. D., &amp; Shindel, A. W. (2018). Erectile dysfunction: AUA guideline. <em>Journal of Urology, 200<\/em>(3), 633-641. (See also the 2022 errata, 207(3), 743.)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/andr.12983\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Campbell, M. J., Lotti, F., Baldi, E., Schlatt, S., Festin, M. P. R., Bj&#246;rndahl, L., Toskin, I., &amp; Barratt, C. L. R. (2021). Distribution of semen examination results 2020: A follow up of data collated for the WHO semen analysis manual 2010. <em>Andrology, 9<\/em>(3), 817-822.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0060443\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Cao, S., Yin, X., Wang, Y., Zhou, H., Song, F., &amp; Lu, Z. (2013). Smoking and risk of erectile dysfunction: Systematic review of observational studies with meta-analysis. <em>PLOS ONE, 8<\/em>(4), Article e60443.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/jsm.12179\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Capogrosso, P., Colicchia, M., Ventimiglia, E., Castagna, G., Clementi, M. 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Identification of late-onset hypogonadism in middle-aged and elderly men. <em>New England Journal of Medicine, 363<\/em>(2), 123-135.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ijc.33999\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Znaor, A., Skakkebaek, N. E., Rajpert-De Meyts, E., Kuli&#353;, T., Laversanne, M., Gurney, J., Sarfati, D., McGlynn, K. A., &amp; Bray, F. (2022). Global patterns in testicular cancer incidence and mortality in 2020. <em>International Journal of Cancer, 151<\/em>(5), 692-698.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/aja.aja_40_19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:inherit;text-decoration:underline;text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-color:#bcd7d8\">Zou, Z.-J., Chen, S.-T., Ma, G.-C., Lai, Y.-F., Yang, X.-J., Feng, J.-R., Zang, Z.-J., Qi, T., Wang, B., Ye, L., &amp; Zhang, Y. (2020). Consecutive nightly measurements are needed for accurate evaluation of nocturnal erectile capacity when the first-night laboratory recording is abnormal. <em>Asian Journal of Andrology, 22<\/em>(1), 94-99.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"eq-lastrev\" style=\"margin:34px 0 0;font-family:&quot;Work Sans&quot;,sans-serif;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.15em;text-transform:uppercase;line-height:1.5;color:#6b6259\">Last reviewed October 2026<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<style>.eqp{--rc-accent:#98461c;--rc-band:#f9eee9;--rc-hover:#f4e2d9;--rc-bg:#faf8f3}.eqp .eq-rc-btn{display:none}.eqp .eq-rc{position:relative}.eqp .eq-rc li[hidden]{display:block;margin:0;padding:0;height:0;line-height:0;font-size:0}.eqp .eq-rc li.rc-off{display:none}.eqp .eq-rc.is-collapsed::after{content:\"\";position:absolute;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;height:76px;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,transparent,var(--rc-bg) 94%);pointer-events:none}.eqp .eq-rc ~ 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soon(){if(!queued){queued=true;raf(paint);}}\nvar ev=[\"input\",\"change\",\"click\",\"keyup\"],k;\nfor(k=0;k< ev.length;k+=1){document.addEventListener(ev[k],soon,true);}\nwindow.addEventListener(\"load\",soon);\npaint();\n})();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-32086477 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-left-color:#c26a2f;border-left-width:4px;border-left-style:solid;border-radius:0px;margin-top:8px;margin-bottom:56px;padding:4px 0px 4px 28px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#6b6259;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.227), 16px);line-height:1.7\"><strong style=\"color:#98461c\">This article is general information, not medical advice.<\/strong> It cannot diagnose or rule out any condition. A lump or change in a testicle, ongoing erection problems, changes in urinating, blood in urine or semen, and lasting low mood or low sex drive deserve proper medical assessment. If any of this sounds like your experience, please speak to your doctor. Psychological support is intended to work alongside appropriate medical care, never to replace it.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:44px\"><a class=\"ra-next\" href=\"\/contraception-101\/\"><span class=\"eyb\">Read next<\/span><span class=\"ti\">Everything You Were Too Afraid to Ask: Contraception 101<\/span><span class=\"wy\">The next article in the series: how well each method works, what it does to the rest of you, and where men come into it.<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group mhp-keep mhp-end has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d2a766d4 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n<div style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1708\" src=\"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A therapist taking notes on a clipboard during a session\" class=\"wp-image-230\" style=\"width:100%;height:340px;object-fit:cover;object-position:center 40%;border-radius:22px 22px 0 0;display:block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mid-shot-woman-therapist-taking-notes-clipboard-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/div>\n<div hidden data-eq-related=\"3041,3351,2661\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background eq-ondark has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f761ea3b wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:#1d5f66;border-radius:0px 0px 22px 22px;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:80px;padding:52px\">\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#bcd7d8;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.16em;line-height:1.4\">WORKING WITH THIS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family\" id=\"when-mens-health-is-hard-to-talk-about\" style=\"color:#ffffff;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:18px;font-size:clamp(16.293px, 1.018rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.989), 25px);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.28\">When men's health is hard to talk about<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#ffffff;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:30px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.455), 18px);line-height:1.7\">Some of what's in this article is easy to read and hard to say out loud, especially about sex or your mood. A session is a place to say it to someone who won't flinch, and to work out what to do next, alongside your doctor rather than instead of one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-element-button\" href=\"\/individual-session\/\" style=\"border-radius:9px;color:#2a2622;background-color:#faf8f3;padding:15px 30px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.284), 16.5px);font-weight:700\">Book a session<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button footer_b\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-work-sans-regular-font-family wp-element-button\" href=\"\/contact\/\" style=\"border-color:#bcd7d8;border-width:1.5px;border-style:solid;border-radius:9px;color:#ffffff;padding:15px 30px;font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.284), 16.5px);font-weight:600\">Get in touch<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Where everything is and the route sperm takes, how the brain and the testes talk to each other, what counts as normal, how the mind and the body affect each other, plain answers to the questions men rarely ask out loud, and how to check in with your own body<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4727,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":3157,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-too-afraid-to-ask","category-mens-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3006"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4779,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3006\/revisions\/4779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/equilibriumpsychotherapy.net\/hr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}