It’s time to talk about that mysterious, little-known buddy-up-your-butt, the prostate. Unfortunately, the prostate has more confusion surrounding it than the Trump administration. So if you’ve ever been curious about what the prostate is, why it’s important, and how you can monitor your prostate’s health keep reading to unveil all these mysteries!
What is Your Prostate?
Simply put, the prostate is a gland located between your bladder and your penis. Your urethra (the tube that carries urine and semen) actually runs directly through the prostate. The prostate secretes fluids, which mix with sperm during ejaculation to protect and nourish your little swimmers as they enter the wide world. The combination of this fluid and sperm is called semen.
Why’s it Important?
Besides its aforementioned purpose, the prostate can also play a big role in men’s sex lives. When stimulated by way of the anus, the prostate can enhance the intensity of male orgasms. And this doesn’t just apply to gay men. Both homo- and heterosexual men can enjoy prostate stimulation, and there are now many products out there to aid in your sexual endeavors. Prostate massagers, vibrators, and dildos are now widely available in most places that sell sex toys.
Direct stimulation—such as a finger or massager making contact with the prostate—is only one way of getting the job done though. Vibrations—like those you’d receive from an anal vibrator—are enough to stimulate the prostate as well without direct contact. Always remember the importance of lubrication when engaging in anal sex play, and avoid inserting objects with rough surfaces that might cause damage to the sensitive walls of your anus. If you’re engaging in anal play or prostate stimulation with a partner, ensure that hands are clean and that fingernails are trimmed.
How Do I Find It?
The prostate is relatively easy to find and stimulate. If it’s your first time exploring back there, be sure to go slow and use plenty of lubricant.
It’s easiest to find on yourself when reaching down from the front. Start by inserting a finger just inside your anus. You’ll need to enter the anus an inch or two. As you get used to this sensation and can feel yourself relax, bend your finger slightly. You should feel a smooth, round spot that’s firm but not hard. That’s your prostate. It’ll be roughly the size of a walnut, and as you apply gentle pressure, you’ll be able to feel the sensation in your groin– it may even feel like you’re stimulating the back of your penis.
Do Straight Men Enjoy Prostate Stimulation?
Many men are hesitant about trying prostate stimulation because of the association between receiving anal penetration and homosexuality. For large swathes of straight men, being seen as gay or feminine is something they deeply fear, and as such, they may not be comfortable with prostate stimulation.
However, for guys who are a bit more open-minded and willing to experiment in the bedroom, prostate stimulation can be an exciting and pleasurable aspect of their sex lives. Regardless of sexuality, the prostate is a touch-sensitive organ. Some men can even attain a full orgasm from prostate stimulation alone. Combining penis stimulation with prostate stimulation can also create a more powerful orgasm than usual.
Because prostate stimulation can be so pleasurable, acts that were once considered taboo or relegated to niche fetish communities have become more mainstream. Heterosexual couples may engage in pegging, straight men may insert a butt plug during sex, and mutual rimming and fingering have become standard forms of foreplay.
If you’re curious about giving prostate stimulation a try, you have plenty of options regardless of your sexuality or experience level. As a few rules of thumb, though:
- Only insert foreign objects with a flared base. A flared base will help ensure that whatever you insert can be removed. If you don’t have a flared base, you run the risk of the item being “sucked up” past the sphincter, at which point it will be incredibly difficult to remove on your own. Going to the ER to have a cucumber removed is not going to make for a pleasant foray into anal play.
- Use plenty of lube. The anus is not self-lubricating. Using lube will help prevent tearing and painful insertion.
- Clean items are a must. Anything you put into your body should be cleaned before and after use.
When Do You Need to Get Your Prostate Checked?
A large portion of medical professionals believe that regular prostate exams should start at around forty years old. Screening the prostate is done largely to detect prostate cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, as of 2015 prostate cancer is the third in terms of lethality. The majority of prostate cancer is found within men over the age of fifty though, so there has been some debate about when exactly screening should begin to take place.
Typically a man’s prostate starts to enlarge after forty. This is referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. BPH can cause bladders issues as the prostate swells and squeezes the urethra, making urination difficult. BPH is often most recognized by its symptoms, which include a weak stream, stopping and starting during urination, a feeling of urgency followed by difficulty starting/finishing urination, “dribbling”, a sense of not feeling as if you’ve successfully been able to completely empty the bladder, blood in the urine, and even complete blockages that result in urinary track infections.
Though usually harmless—if symptomatically inconvenient—BPH can also be a sign of prostate cancer and should be examined by a doctor if you notice any of the above issues.
There is very little confirmed research about what how to maintain good prostate health but some reports suggest that massaging and stimulating the prostate is beneficial to overall prostate health. Otherwise, there isn’t any hard data supporting many other means of keeping your prostate healthy. In other words, get out there and start massaging that prostate.
