Want good health? Work at it, in 2025

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Many people say it is unlikely that one will go for a routine medical check-up if they do not think they have a problem.

However, medical experts encourage people to go for medical check-ups regularly and to seek treatment on time.

The experts say many serious conditions can be treated if they are discovered early. We want to remind every man that in addition to prostate cancer, he should check himself for the following conditions.

Enlarged prostate

This refers to a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate, Dr Nathan Jombwe, a urological surgeon in Wakiso district,says.

“As the prostate cells gradually multiply, creating an enlargement, pressure is put on the urethra through which urine and semen exit the body. This can block the flow of urine through the urethra. And as the urethra narrows, the bladder has to contract more forcefully to push urine out of the body,” Jombwen says.

He notes that over time, the muscles of the bladder may become stronger, thicker and overly sensitive, hence, contracting even when the bladder contains small amounts of urine. This leads to frequent passing of urine.

Symptoms

• Weak or slow urinary stream
• A feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
• Difficulty starting urination
• Frequent urination
• Urgency to urinate
• Straining to urinate

Continued dribbling of urine Doctors explain that the condition puts one at a higher risk of developing urinary tract infections and other serious problems such as bladder stones, blood in the urine, incontinence and acute urinary retention (inability to urinate).

Sexually transmitted infections

These include genital warts, gonorrhoea, syphilis and genital herpes. Signs of sexually transmitted infections might include feeling pain while passing urine, discharge from the penis and sores or blisters on the penis or in the genital area.

Sexual health

Sexual disorders for men are classified into two types, that is infertility and erectile dysfunction. Jombwe explains that some men are potent but infertile.

This means that they can engage in sexual intercourse, but they cannot have children. He also explains that men with erectile dysfunction cannot engage in sexual activity.

Other sexual concerns might include the inability to ejaculate, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, painful ejaculation and retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder instead of emerging through the penis).

Urethral stricture

This is caused by sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, that leave a scar on the urethra upon healing. The scar goes on enlarging and, therefore, narrowing down the urinal path.

Cancer of the penis

According to Hassan Mayanja, a medical officer at Mercy Hospital, this presents with an open wound on the penis with an offensive smell. It is mostly common in sexually active men and those between the ages of 18 and 45.

Testicular cancer

Experts explain that this is a type of cancer that starts in the testicles. It typically develops in one or both testicles among young men, although it can occur at any age. It is, however, highly treatable and curable.

Phimosis

This refers to a condition when the foreskin can not be pulled back from the head of the penis, explains Mayanja.