#NaughtyNovember is also the month for men to man up and have the family jewels checked

AT LOLA Montez, November is #NaughtyNovember month! It’s warming up so we can sleep with less clothes on, which always makes life a bit sexier. It’s also the international month of Movember, when men are allowed to go unshaven in the name of a good cause.

Movember started to raise awareness about testicular cancer. If there is anything I know about sexual health, it’s that men ignore it for as long as they possibly can. It is usually their partners who approach me or the doctor with their concerns.

Just like women have to examine their breasts regularly, so men should examine their testicles and prostate. Checking the prostate is a little more tricky, but could be fun!

Healthy testicles, prostate and erections are important to men’s overall health and ignoring or not admitting they have a problem is just going to make matters worse and more difficult to treat. So man up!

I saw a quote recently which screamed: “Not everything involving balls is a game.”

Your testicles are a primary manufacturing plant for testosterone. This is the hormone responsible for your sex drive, hair growth and muscle mass.

If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, general lack of energy, depression, hair or muscle loss, you may have a testosterone deficiency.

You may also just be stressed but wouldn’t it make more sense to find out and get treated?

A simple blood test will give you a starting point.

Checking your testicles regularly is a really simple exercise. It doesn’t need any specialised equipment and chances are you already touch your genitals frequently. All I’m asking is that you now pay attention.

It is best to do the examination after a hot shower or bath. This is when the scrotum (the skin housing the jewels) is the most relaxed and pliable. This makes examination easier.

Push your penis to one side and examine one testicle at a time.

Use both hands. Place one hand behind the testicle, place the thumb of the second hand at the top of the testicle and feel the surface of the testicle with your index and middle fingers. Feel and roll checking the entire surface – front, back and sides.

You should be able to feel the epididymis; this is the tube that carries sperm from the factory to the end user. You will feel it near the back of the testicle and it should feel soft and rope-like. This is normal and nothing to worry about.

Feel for any lumps or bumps on the testicle. Lumps could be a small as a grain of rice or a pea.

Then repeat the process on the second testicle.

If you notice a bump, swelling or a change in colour of a testicle, or if you feel pain in your groin area, it’s time to see the doctor.

It could be nothing, but why take the chance? Testicular cancer is almost always curable if it is caught and treated early.

If you choose to ignore any changes, may I suggest life insurance.

Testicular cancer can happen to men of any age, including teens. So it pays to be vigilant.

Just remember when checking your testicles that it is quite normal for one testicle to be larger than the other. Statistically it is usually the right testicle.

Men’s sexual health is as important as a woman’s. I sometimes think that men are getting left behind in the discussions. I want everyone to have a healthy attitude towards sex and sexuality and to lose all the shame and embarrassment surrounding our genitals.

In today’s day and age, there is absolutely no reason to suffer in silence. Your genitals are great predicators of health issues, so listen!

Find yourself a sex-positive doctor, someone you can comfortably discuss issues that may be worrying you. For more information, you can e-mail me at sharon@lolamontez.co.za