Anatomy

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Understanding the Prostate

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The prostate secretes fluid that carries sperm. It surrounds the urethra, the canal which carries urine from the bladder out of the body.

With age and time, the prostate enlarges causing pressure on the urethra, similar to a clamp on a garden hose. This causes problems with urination.

Words To Know

• Prostate - A walnut-sized gland that secretes prostatic fluid which carries sperm

• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) - A non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate
   that restricts urine flow

• Incontinece - Inability to control or hold back urine

• Impotence - Failure to achieve or to maintain an erection

• Retrograde Ejaculation - When semen travels up the urethra towards the bladder
  instead of outside of the body

• Catheter - A thin, flexible tube inserted through the penis used to drain urine from
   the bladder

• Cystoscope - An instrument that allows the doctor to examine the bladder and
   prostate