Young Men Are Clueless About Testicular Self-Exams

Testicular cancer is the leading cause of cancer in guys age 15-35, yet a January 2016 survey by the Testicular Cancer Society indicates less than half of young men know how to do a testicular self-exam.

The Testicular Cancer Society asked 500 young men in the U.S., age 18-34, "Do you know how to do a self-testicular exam?"

42% of the respondents indicated Yes.

43% of respondents indicated No.

16% of respondents indicated I'm Not Sure.

If caught and treated early testicular cancer is almost 100% curable. However, if diagnosed in later stages the survival rates drop and the treatment burdens are increased. A monthly testicular self-exam can help men become more familiar with their bodies, lead to early detection of testicular cancer and possibly save their life because they've noticed changes.

The men surveyed were ages 18-34 which is troubling because they are in the age group at highest risk for the disease. 

[bctt tweet="Majority of young men do not know how to do Testicular Self-Exams. #TesticularCancer #tscsm"]

There is a positive sign in that the 42% of respondents indicated that they did know how to do a testicular self-exam, which is an increase compared to the 32% that indicated the same in the 2015 testicular self-exam survey.

Resources from the Testicular Cancer Society are available for helping with self testicular exams and for reminders.

Their free Ball Checker app is available on iTunes and Google Play. You can learn more about the app at www.BallChecker.com 

They also have a monthly text reminder system with instructions that is available by texting @selfexam to 81810

There is also information about testicular self-exams on their website.

For more information on this survey, please contact the Testicular Cancer Society.