The Prostate Gland

The prostate gland is one of the fluid producing organs in the male body. Its function is to produce seminal fluid (semen) that nourishes and transports the male gamete (sperm) through the female reproductive tract. Thus its proper and successful functioning is a key factor in male fertility.

A healthy prostate gland is made up of many small fluid producing sacs that are also referred to as glands. The prostate also contains a network of pipes and muscular cells that pump the seminal fluid, along with the sperm, at the moment of a males ejaculation.

The prostate is dormant up to the point of male puberty. With the release of male hormones it grows and develops into a walnut/strawberry size, spongy and fluid filled organ sited beneath the bladder. Its lifelong task is to produce semen, the complex fluid containing proteins and minerals to protect sperm as they seek the female gamete, the ovum. (NB. The prostate also works in conjunction with the seminal vesicles and Cowper's gland which also produce fluids that assist ejaculation.)

Following puberty the size of a healthy prostate will change very little. Apart from a possible episode of inflammation or infection of the prostate most men are completely unconscious of the glands work. At some point, usually in the man’s fifth decade, the prostate will begin to grow again. It can then develop into an intrusive problem affecting the quality of life. The prostate gland is situated in a male’s body in such a position that it can also be seriously affected by problems in another organ. The prostate is inter-connected with the seminal vesicles, the Cowper’s glands, the vas deferens and the urethra. It is also in close proximity to both the bladder and the rectum. As such it is susceptible to problems developing in other those other sexual, urinary and bowel organs.

Begnign Prostatic Hyperlasia (BPH) is a common occurrence in men over the age of 50. In short BPH is the growth of new, non-cancerous, cells in the prostate whilst old cells fail to die off. This results in the prostate enlarging and can lead to an abnormally large prostate gland. BPH often results in urinary disorders but rarely causes problems with male fertility.

One of the secretions from the prostate is the protein PSA (prostate-specific antigen). PSA plays the vital role of liquefying coagulated semen so that the sperm are able to ‘swim’ in order to find the ovum. Abnormally high levels of PSA can indicate problems with the functioning of the prostate gland, this could be due to BPH, as described above, or the onset of cancerous cells/growth within the prostate. If cancerous cells are present a variety of treatment options may be available to the medical practitioner. A highly successful treatment for prostate cancer is radiation therapy.

During the 1960’s prostate cancer sufferers undergoing radiation therapy invariably reported sexual dysfunction following it. Modern advances in radiation surgery during the treatment of prostate problems means that this is no longer the case. There has been a great reduction in the chances of sexual dysfunction or side effects arising from radiation therapy prostate cancer treatments. Also, there are now effective therapies to alleviate and even reverse problems that occur after treatment. In summary, most prostate cancer patients can look forward to resuming an active, fertile and fulfilling sexual life after successful treatment.