Protecting Oceans and Prostates

Monday and Tuesday (World Ocean's Day and Coral Triangle Day) are days to bring awareness to marine conservation of our oceans and the diverse life that thrive there. Just as we can gather together passionately for a cause related to helping our environment, we also have the power to gather together passionately for a cause related to our community and our health. 

The health of our marine ecosystem and the health of our men and LGBT members are all important. It's also possible to care about many causes at once, as we've seen with fighting COVID-19 and racial injustice! This month is Men's Health Month and Pride Month. How can we intersect the awareness of marine life with the men's community and LGBT community? 

Once it's safe to do so, doing volunteer ocean cleanups to liberate trash from harming sea life is one idea. Swimming for a cause, where people can exercise by swimming and fundraising for reputable marine life organizations, is another idea. 

We always bring BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) to your attention because it's a prostate enlargement condition that commonly affects men as they get older. It can also affect transgender women in the LGBT community who may have their prostate gland intact depending on how early or late their hormonal therapy took place as well as procedures they may or may not have undergone. 

The month of June encourages men to show us their blue. The inclusive flag of the LGBT community also has the color blue. And, we visually associate the color blue with the sea. As you can see, our lives and the things around us are interconnected. We can share our passion, awareness and support to many parts of our lives! 

Manage your prostate enlargement! Know your risk for prostate diseases! Do your part for marine conservation!  

Wishing Everyone Stay Safe and Healthy During Pride and Men's Health Month

During these difficult times of the global pandemic of COVID-19 and the global outrage over the repeated injustices against the black community in America, we want to encourage a safe environment for those of you who are exercising your right to peaceful demonstrations as well as to those of you staying home in the practice of social distancing. We hope you can be healthy in body and mind through tools such as nutrition awareness, mindful meditation, etc. 

This month we want to use our platform to lift the voices of the men's health community, as well as for people with male sexual organs in the LGBT community who can benefit from men's health awareness, whether they be a gay man, a transgender woman, a non-binary individual, and everyone under the sun who could use this information.

We often center our men's health awareness to one particular condition of prostate enlargement, also known as BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). BPH commonly occurs later in a man's life as he ages as well as in people who have a prostate. This may be accompanied by a series of uncomfortable urinary symptoms including frequent urination (especially at night), poor or slow urinary flow, retention of urine in the bladder, struggle to stop or start urination, straining, and dribbling. There may even be sexual dysfunction. It's possible not many people know about this condition, nor are enough older men going to the doctor to find out if they have this condition. It's important to properly get a diagnosis as other prostate and even bladder conditions have similar symptoms. 

Men who are experiencing mild BPH may be recommended to try watchful waiting and positive lifestyle modifications by their doctor to see if symptoms can be managed early on before considering medication and surgery, usually reserved for moderate to severe BPH when management of symptoms is not enough. For mild BPH, taking a holistic approach (including reducing stress, following a nutritious diet, practicing voiding techniques, physical activity, and complementary or alternative herbal medicine) may be beneficial, too. 

We wish you safety and good health during men's health and pride month!       

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.