Talk to your primary care doctor to determine if you should have a DRE (digital rectal exam) to check your prostate. Check your prostate if you’re older than 40, have a high risk for prostate cancer, or if you have symptoms of an enlarged or infected prostates. If you want to access your prostate for sexual pleasure, take all the precautions described in this article and work very slowly and gently.
Don’t use a rough washcloth or brush, scrub too vigorously, or try to clean deep into your rectum. You may damage the sensitive tissue in the area. Just accept that it’s not possible to get this area 100% clean.
Even when you’re accessing your own rectum, it’s best to play it safe and wear a glove. If you wear a ring on the index finger you’ll be using, remove it.
Your entire index finger should be fully coated from the tip down to at least the middle knuckle.
If you’re at home, try putting on some relaxing music or doing a few deep breathing exercises beforehand.
While there are sexual pleasure devices designed to stimulate the prostate, use your finger the first few times until you get comfortable with the process.
During a DRE, a medical professional will gently feel your prostate for about 5-10 seconds, checking for any bumps, growths, or unusual elements. For sexual pleasure, try gently massaging the prostate with your fingertip. It may take a few seconds, a few minutes, or longer for you to experience pleasurable results—but you’ll know them when they happen! In some cases, your finger may not be long enough to access the prostate—this happens to doctors doing exams about 6% of the time. [9] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Weak flow during urination. Feeling like your bladder hasn’t emptied fully. Difficulty starting to urinate. Dribbling urine after you finish urinating. Needing to urinate more often, especially at night. Sudden urges to urinate that may cause leaks before you reach the toilet. Try taking a screening test to assess your symptoms here: https://www. bostonscientific. com/content/dam/bostonscientific-anz/patients/downloads/Enlarged_Prostate_Symptom_Score_Questionnaire. pdf.
Blood in your urine or semen. Pain or burning during urination. Painful ejaculation. Frequent pain or stiffness in your lower back, hips, pelvic or rectal area, or upper thighs.
Some studies indicate that the DRE isn’t a perfect test for prostate cancer since it can be difficult to reach the front side of the prostate,[15] X Trustworthy Source Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Go to source but many experts argue it is still a valuable test. [16] X Trustworthy Source American Cancer Society Nonprofit devoted to promoting cancer research, education, and support Go to source In some cases, even if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, your medical team may advise a “watch and wait” approach. This is because some types of prostate cancer spread very slowly and the side effect risks of treatment (such as urinary and sexual function issues) are fairly substantial. [17] X Trustworthy Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital Go to source
