Sexual wellbeing is still a mystery for many UK men – survey reveals

Sexual wellbeing is still a mystery for many UK men – survey reveals

A new survey commissioned by The Urology Foundation reveals that 7 in 10 men didn’t know the role of their prostate in sex and only 1 in 2 men knew where the prostate is located. Shockingly, only 1 in 3 men aged 18-24 knew the location of their prostate.

Interestingly the survey of 2,000 men in the UK showed that men were much more knowledgeable about female sexual anatomy, with around two thirds of men knowing where the clitoris is located.

The survey uncovered significant gaps in men’s understanding of their own bodies and urology health, showing that whilst we have come a long way in terms of male understanding of the female anatomy we still have a long way to go for men to be aware of their own sexual wellbeing.

Rebecca Porta, Chief Executive of The Urology Foundation said: “It’s worrying that many men don’t know where their prostate is or what it does. It’s vital that males from a young age understand the role of their prostate and its location in their bodies, as well as how it might change over time. Prostate cancer rates are set to double globally by 2040 so it is crucial that men understand their prostate health, recognise their individual risk factors, know the possible signs and are empowered to take control of their prostate health.”

Key findings from the survey, which was commissioned ahead of Urology Awareness Month in September and conducted by One Poll, include:

• 61% of men could correctly identify the location of the clitoris.
• 53% of men could correctly identify the location of the prostate.
• 18-24 year olds were least likely to know the location of the prostate or the clitoris (38% and 41% respectively) compared to 55-64 year olds (58% and 70% respectively).
• Men in Northern Ireland and Yorkshire and the Humber were the most likely to know their way round the female anatomy, with 71% of male respondents in both areas correctly locating the clitoris. Interestingly, men from Northern Ireland were least likely to know where their prostate is found – only 45% – making them nearly 58% more likely to know the location of the clitoris than the prostate.
• Men were more likely to think that their prostate was involved in the flow of urine (48%) than its primary function of producing fluid that becomes semen (30%).

The prostate gland lies beneath the base of the bladder. It surrounds the urethra – a tube that transports urine out of the body from the bladder.  The prostate gland’s main function is during sexual intercourse. At ejaculation, sperm is mixed with fluid from the prostate gland. A substance called prostate-specific antigen (PSA) liquidises the ejaculate to improve the chances of fertilization. The fluid produced by the prostate also prevents infection in the urethra. In the UK, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in males with over 55,000 cases diagnosed every year.

ENDS

For more information contact:

Laura Thorne (lthorne@theurologyfoundation.org / 07725031880)

Notes for Editors.

About The Urology Foundation

As the UK’s only charity representing all urology diseases including prostate, bladder kidney, penile and testicular cancers and non-malignant conditions such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, urinary tract infections and kidney stones, our vision is for everyone to benefit from excellent urology health. We are revolutionising urology care for the benefit of those living with a urology condition and their families. We do this in three ways:

• We are investing in cutting edge research and funding more research into urology conditions and cancers.
• We are advancing urology skills through providing and supporting education and training programmes for all urology healthcare professionals.
• We are achieving impact through raising awareness, improving understanding, providing patient information and driving change through policy and campaigns.

The Urology Foundation can offer journalists:

• Expert views and opinions
• Urology health information
• Interviews and photo opportunities
• Case studies
• Campaign information

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