The prostate is a gland. It helps make semen, the fluid that contains sperm.
The prostate surrounds the tube that carries urine away from the bladder and out
of the body. A young man's prostate is about the size of a walnut. It slowly
grows larger with age. If it gets too large, it can cause problems. This is very
common after age 50. The older men get, the more likely they are to have prostate
trouble.
Some common problems are
-
Prostatitis - an infection, usually caused by bacteria
-
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH - an enlarged prostate, which may
cause dribbling after urination or a need to go often, especially at night
-
Prostate cancer - a common cancer that responds best to treatment when
detected early
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases
National Library of Medicine | National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services
Blood in the semen