What’s the prostate?

The prostate is a gland that is part of the male reproductive system and is closely connected with the male urinary system. The prostate produces and stores a fluid called prostatic secretion. This fluid mixes in the urethra, at the time of ejaculation, with sperm from the testicles and stored in the seminal vesicles. A young man's prostate is the size of a walnut and grows slowly with age. This gland is located just below the bladder, in front of the rectum and surrounds the urethra (the channel that carries urine and semen out of the body). During ejaculation, sperm travels through the urethra and exits the penis. The prostate, usually healthy in younger men, often hypertrophies beyond the age of 50 becoming a possible source of problems. Nevertheless, prostate problems can occur even among young people in whom the dreaded prostatitis can develop. Therefore, prostate diseases can be divided into: Bacterial or abacterial inflammation (Prostatitis); Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, which consists of an enlargement of the gland, with the consequent well-known obstructive symptoms (frequent and obstructed urination, nocturnal urination, post-void drip); Prostate cancer.