Health Information

Every man has one, it's important to their sex life, yet few men know anything about their prostate or what can go wrong with it.

Around one in four people has experienced bowel or bladder weakness. It affects men and women, both young and old, yet many people keep it a secret for years.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are fairly common, but not usually serious, and can be effectively treated with antibiotics. The urinary tract is where our bodies make and get rid of urine. It comprises the kidneys, and stretches out to the ureters (the tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), down to the bladder, and finally the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body).

Lumps and swellings in the testicles are a relatively common symptom in boys and men, and can have a number of different causes. The vast majority of testicular lumps and swellings are caused by benign (non-cancerous) conditions that may not need treatment, but it's important to know what's normal for you and to see your GP if you notice any changes in your testicles so they can try to identify the cause.

Most testicular lumps and swellings are caused by benign (non-cancerous) conditions, although occasionally they can be a symptom of testicular cancer. It's important to see your GP if you notice a lump or swelling in one of your testicles so they can try to identify the cause and arrange any further tests if necessary.

Prostatitis is the inflammation (swelling) of the prostate gland. It can be very painful and distressing, but will usually get better eventually.

A transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a surgical procedure that involves cutting away a section of the prostate. The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis only found in men. It's located between the penis and bladder, and surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the penis).

Priapism is a persistent and often painful erection that lasts for several hours. The erection is not necessarily related to sexual stimulation or excitement, and does not subside after ejaculation (when semen is released from the penis).

Loss of libido (sex drive) is a common problem affecting up to one in five men – and even more women – at some point in their life. It's often linked to professional and personal stress, or important life-changing events such as pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

Urethritis is inflammation of the urethra – the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. It is usually caused by an infection. The term non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) is used when the condition is not caused by gonorrhoea – a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

A kidney transplant is the transfer of a healthy kidney from one person (the donor) into the body of a person who has little or no kidney function (the recipient).

Kidney stones are stone-like lumps that can develop in one or both of the kidneys. The medical name for stones in the kidneys is nephrolithiasis. If the stones cause severe pain, this is known as renal colic.