Are you touching your balls on the regular? Of course you are! But are you touching them with the purpose of screening for ball cancer? Of course you aren’t! Well, you should be if you want to protect your nuts.
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Ball cancer is most common in dudes aged 15-34. Estimates from the National Cancer Society project close to 8,000 new cases will have been found in 2013, with nearly 400 guys dying from ball cancer. If that doesn’t provide the perfect excuse to dim the lights, put on some Isaac Hayes, and non-sexually fondle yourself on a weekly basis, we don’t know what will.
HOW TO TOUCH YOURSELF TO PROTECT YOUR NUTS FROM BALL CANCER:
#1. Hold one ball in both hands with your middle and index fingers on the bottom and your thumbs on top.
#2. Gently roll the ball between your fingers and thumbs, checking for swelling, misshapenness, and lumps that seem to protrude from inside of the nut.
A healthy testicle should be smooth, firm, and egg-shaped. (If yours is a hexagon, you’ve got a major issue.) However, don’t freak out if you feel a small cord running along the top; that’s the epididymis, which has the important job of carrying sperm to your cannon.
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Obviously, we’re not doctors, but we’ll save you a trip by telling you what they’d tell you: If you feel something that alarms you, or you experience consistent pain or discomfort in the scrotum for more than two weeks, schedule an appointment with a doctor and request that they touch your balls.
