The Pause on Men's Health and Pride Month

With the current global pandemic as well as the global outrage from the unjust murder of George Floyd in the U.S., many people are trying to balance staying safe from COVID-19 while having their voices and actions ensure that what happened to George Floyd and to many other members of the black community can never happen again. We condemn the excessive force that has unfairly impacted black communities, as well as the imbalance of available resources (health, education, employment, etc.) for black people in the U.S. 

Although in previous years, this time of the year has been dedicated to raising awareness of men's health (for us, BPH/prostate enlargement awareness specifically) and celebrating pride month for the LGBT community, we understand that it can be difficult to think or care about men's health issues and LGBT issues while the pandemic and protests are happening.   

We ask that as citizens of the world, you take the time to support yourself in body and mind, as well as those around you who may choose to stay home for their immune health or choose to go outside and exercise their right to a peaceful protest. Please stay safe and avoid resorting to violent forms of protest such as looting and destruction, as those actions move the conversation away from what's really important. 

George Floyd was a father, and unfortunately Father's Day won't be the same this year for his family without him. Cherish and support your fathers this year for the sake of the families who can't. Support them emotionally and also hold them accountable to care for their men's health.

If you have a family member who is in the LGBT community, show them love and support and celebrate their truth and identity. Compassion and understanding are important for their emotional and physical health as well. 

Hopefully next year the world will be in a better situation, and we can continue progress in the men's health and LGBT communities. Until then, stay safe, stay healthy, and take action responsibly whenever possible.  

If you live in the U.S., you can contact your local authorities about the 8 Can't Wait proposal that ensures policing policies can be carried out fairly on 8cantwait.org 

MTF Transgender Women and BPH (A Men's Health and Pride Month Topic)

A transgender woman is a person who was born biologically male (of the male sex) with male sexual organs, who then transitions to represent their true selves, the female gender. MTF (male to female) refers to the transition from a person with male biology to a person who affirms their gender as female. Sometimes what we tend to forget is, regardless of whether or not a transgender woman has undergone gender-affirmation surgery or hormone therapy, she may still have a prostate gland. As transgender women get older, there have been cases reported of prostate health issues arising. This is why knowing about conditions in the prostate such as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), the medical term for prostate enlargement, is relevant to not only men.

June is Men's Health Month and Pride Month. Men's Health Month raises awareness of conditions related to mental health, the prostate, testicles, and penis because these are conditions known to affect the male biology. In addition Pride Month celebrates the progress of the LGBT community as well as offers support during difficult times of mental health, societal issues, and physical health as well. Women are also very much a part of the men's health community because the men in their lives also need women's support. Not only that, but transgender women may have biologically male anatomy, so the knowledge spread in Men's Health Month can serve to benefit them as well. 

BPH is usually accompanied by uncomfortable lower urinary tract symptoms known as LUTS, which include frequent urination, poor or slow urinary flow, struggle to start and stop flow, pushing or straining, sensation of remaining urine in the bladder, urges, hesitancy, and incontinence. Sexual dysfunction may also occur. Not many people know this condition by the name BPH, but getting up at night frequently to go to the bathroom and the aforementioned urinary discomfort by prompt a visit to the doctor, followed by a BPH diagnosis. 

Healthy lifestyle modifications and practices for bladder relief may support those who have mild BPH, as well as natural complementary treatments which clinically backed data to support BPH patients. 

If you're a transgender woman, although you may not like to think about having a male gland like the prostate, it's important that you take care of all areas of your health so you can continue to live in your truth and live a good quality of life! 

Gay Men and BPH (A Men's Health and Pride Month Topic)

June is Men's Health Month, where we put the spotlight on men's physical and mental health issues in order to garner more support. 

June is also Pride Month, where we honor the history of progress, celebrate the present of the LGBT community, and make strides for continued progress in the future. 

For both of these occasions, today we'd like to talk to you about older gay men who may experience BPH. BPH is benign prostatic hyperplasia, the medical term for prostate enlargement. As men get older, they may have to go to the bathroom more often. They may even have to get up a few times at night to go. They may also notice that when they urinate, their stream is weaker or slower than before. If after a doctor visit and prostate check they are told they have BPH, the recommended course of action varies depending on the stage of BPH. When it is found in earlier mild stages, they may practice watchful waiting and recommend healthy lifestyle modifications to properly manage BPH. 

Although BPH doesn't discriminate by sexual orientation, we wanted to share with you information about a study conducted in gay men. In approximately 2015, the medical journal Nature Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases found that gay men, or more specifically, men who engage in sexual intercourse with men, were experiencing more lower urinary tract symptoms (the ones that may occur with BPH and other diseases) compared to men who did not engage in sexual intercourse with other men. This could be due to hygiene, sexual practices, and other factors, but we want to let gay men know that BPH exists, and that their prostate health is important! 

Gay men, have you heard of BPH? Were you diagnosed with BPH when you spoke to your doctor? Do you have regular check ups to ensure you have a clean bill of health? Are you getting support from friends, loved ones, and fellow men with BPH? 

Living with the discomfort and limitations associated with BPH doesn't have to reduce your quality of life if we amplify the conversation on men's health spheres as well as in the gay men's health spheres. Encouraging more studies and healthier lifestyles can support men! 

 

Men, Be Proud of Who You are and of Your Health!

June is Men’s Health Month as well as Pride Month. For the men who embraced their identities and were able to safely share their truth to the world, know you are celebrated! For the men who cannot safely share their truth, you are celebrated and not alone, and we hope your time comes too. For the men who support their fellow men no matter what, we celebrate you! For everyone who shares positive messages during men’s health month and pride month, we thank you! 

For older men of all orientations and identities, as well as older people with male sexual organs who may not necessarily identify with the male gender, we want to raise awareness of the importance of your prostate health, particularly when it comes to BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). This is the medical term for prostate enlargement. If you have a prostate gland, over time it may grow and interfere with your urinary and sexual health. As the prostate enlarges, it may push against the bladder and squeeze the urethra into becoming more narrow. The risk of developing BPH may increase due to age, nutrition, hormonal activity, family history, etc. 

If you are getting up many times to go to the bathroom, or you are finding it difficult or slower to urinate, talk to your doctor. 

Men, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

Gay men, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

Bisexual men, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

MTF transgender community, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

Non-binary people with male sexual organs, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

Asexual men, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

Queer men, have you gotten your prostate checked? 

You matter, and your health matters too! BPH education, support groups and solutions are out there so you can live a good quality of life managing your BPH. Sharing information responsibly, talking to your doctors and specialists (family doctor, urologist, gerontologist, pelvic floor specialist, naturopathic doctor, and TCM practitioners) may offer more insight to safe lifestyle adjustments to reduce the negative impact of BPH. This Men’s Health Month and Pride Month, let’s celebrate and encourage progress in better health and inclusive communities! 

June is Men's Health Month and Pride Month!

June is a time to increase support and awareness in Men’s Health Month as well as Pride Month! Men of all ages and orientations, as well as people who have biologically male sexual organs need to ensure that their physical and mental health needs are being met. Did you know that among the transgender community, people who were born biologically male and transitioned to female may need a prostate exam or can still experience prostate enlargement (medically known as BPH)? People who posses male sexual organs such as the prostate, even if they don’t identify with a male gender, are still at risk for developing BPH in older age. BPH may cause frequent urination, slow or poor urinary flow, straining, dribbling and sexual dysfunction. 

This year, although we are facing a global pandemic, the message of men’s health in the month of June can still be shared with you online and with loved ones. 

With Father’s Day also coming up, remember to show the dads in your life that you love them and that their health matters.

Goodbye May, Hello June for Men's Health Month!

The month of May is coming to a close, and the community of men's health and benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) is going to have a chance to shine in the month of June. Did you have a better night's sleep in May, which is Better Sleep Month? Did you take the time to appreciate the contributions of the Asian Pacific Islander community in May, which is Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month? 

June is the month of raising awareness for physical, emotional and mental health issues that affect the men's health community. It is also pride month for celebrating the LGBT community. Whether you identify as a gay man, straight man, or a person with male sexual organs, it is important to address prostate enlargement so that more people learn about this common condition and more men can find a solution to regain their quality of life. 

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, is when the prostate gland enlarges. As it pushes against the bladder and squeezes the urethra into a more narrow state, this can cause difficulty with urinary symptoms in men. This includes frequent urination, urges, getting up many times a night to go to the bathroom, slow urinary flow, difficulty in stopping and starting, incontinence, and the sensation of remaining urine in the bladder. 

As we approach the end of spring and get closer to the summer months, we hope that you are staying safe during the pandemic. Have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to encouraging more conversation around men's health!     

BPH and TCM: A Natural Remedy in Prostate Enlargement

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the use and practice of plants, herbs and natural ingredients to help treat ailments and reduce symptoms, all with the goal of improving health. People who are open to natural treatments may believe that there is less risk associated and less side effects. There may also be a motivation of reduced cost when considering natural treatments. Whatever the reason may be, even before the dawn of modern medicine, herbs were used by people around the world. 

We think that TCM, if studied and given more credibility, then men who have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), especially during the mild stages, may find good health support. BPH is another term for enlarged prostate, and it is usually associated with frequent urination, getting up many times at night for the bathroom, struggle to start and stop urinating, dribbling, sensation of urine remaining after emptying, and sexual dysfunction. In more extreme cases, kidney damage, stones, and complete inability to urinate (complete blockage of the urethra) may occur. 

The skepticism with traditional Chinese medicine stems from a number of reasons, such as lack of evidence, inconsistent formulas among different brands, lack of clinical testing, low quality control, etc. This does not apply to all companies who are in the nutraceutical/supplement business, but when some rotten apples cut corners, it gives a negative image on the industry as a whole. 

Word of mouth and established trust may motivate people to give TCM a try. Just as UMOOZE performed well in a clinical trial for BPH, we hope that more attention can be paid to ingredients like astragalus and soy to see if more men can benefit from the health properties in service to managing BPH symptoms and improving quality of life. Let's find more ways to safely consider TCM in the healthy lifestyles of men with BPH!