How to Do a Testicular Self Examination:

For men over the age of 14, a monthly self-exam of the testicles is an effective way of becoming familiar with this area of the body and thus enabling the detection of testicular cancer at an early — and very curable — stage. Why do you need to do it monthly? Because the point of the self exam is not to find something wrong today. The point is to learn what everything feels like when things are normal, and to check back every month to make sure that nothing has changed. If something HAS changed, you will know it and you can do something about it.


The testicular self exam is best performed after a warm bath or shower. (Heat relaxes the scrotum, making it easier to spot anything abnormal)

Here is how to do the self exam:

Other signs of testicular cancer to keep in mind are:

I hesitate to mention the following list, since anything out of the ordinary down there should prompt a visit to the doctor, but you should be aware that the following symptoms are not normally signs of testicular cancer:

*** Remember, only a physician can make a positive diagnosis ***

For that matter, only a physician can make a negative diagnosis too. If you think something feels strange, go see the doctor!

Finally, embarrassment is a poor excuse for not having any problem examined by a doctor. If you think there is something wrong or something has changed, please see your doctor!

For information on a number of related topics, please check out these links:

 

 


 

This page was last updated on Mar 16, 2009
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