The Tribune

Men, you can now legitimately tell the women in your life that more frequent ejaculation can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

A new study by Harvard University has found that men who ejaculate 21 times a month or more have a significant reduction of between 19 per cent and 22 per cent in their risk of getting prostate cancer.

In 1992, Harvard University researchers analysed 31,925 healthy men who filled out a questionnaire about monthly ejaculation frequency. The participants in the study were followed until 2010. Of these, 3,839 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Now that I have your attention Bahamas, note the following:

One in six Bahamian men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. Prostate cancer is the most common male malignancy.

Obese men are at higher risk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer, so when you tell your lady that more frequent sex can keep prostate cancer away, she can reply that you also need to lose some weight to lower risk for aggressive prostate cancer risk.

Other prostate cancer risk factors include advancing age, family history of prostate cancer, and race. Prostate cancer is more common in black men.

Frequent ejaculation may help save lives, but early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are the Key to curing prostate cancer.

Many men with prostate cancer have no symptoms that are actually related to the cancer.

Urinary symptoms may include a weak urine stream, urinary urgency and frequency, Nocturia - waking up at night to urinate - urinary incontinence/leak.

All of these symptoms may also occur with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), which is an enlargement of the normal non-cancerous prostate in older men.

Bahamian men need to get a baseline PSA prostate specific antigen blood test by the time they are 45. Digital rectal exam, along with PSA blood test and more advanced investigations, such as multi-parametric MRI and the urine test PCA3, are all methods used in early detection of prostate cancer.

Treatment can include active surveillance, radical prostatectomy therapy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, hormonal therapy or watchful waiting.

An orgasm 21 times a month can lower a man's prostate cancer risk, but avoiding obesity and getting regular prostate cancer screening are a must.

Urology Care Bahamas at the Centreville Medical Centre, Sixth Terrace, offers the most advanced prostate cancer screening, follow up and treatment that includes minimally invasive laparoscopic nerve sparing prostate cancer surgery.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a Bahamian urologist who has trained in South Africa, Germany and France. He is a member of the European Association of Urologists. Dr Pinto can be reached at Urology Care Bahamas at the Surgical Suite, Centreville Medical Centre, Collins Avenue and Sixth Terrace. Call 326-1929, e-mail welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit urologycarebahamas.com