Penis health can involve many different aspects. These include proper grooming and hygiene habits, refraining from risky sexual behavior, and having any suspicious symptoms evaluated immediately. It may also include the prevention or treatment of sexual dysfunction or impotence.
Men can help ensure penis health by first and foremost properly cleaning and grooming their penises. This can include trimming away unwanted hair and washing thoroughly every day. Uncircumcised men need to take extra care to retract and clean beneath their foreskins in order to prevent infection. Parents should keep in mind, however, that young boys whose penises are not fully retractable do not need to have cleanings beneath their foreskins. The foreskin generally retracts comfortably by early adolescence.
Preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is another big factor in penis health, as many of these illnesses are not curable and can cause unwanted symptoms. Gonorrhea, for instance, may cause burning during urination and a discharge from the penis. Men can prevent STDs by wearing a condom each and every time they have sex, unless they are in a monogamous relationship in which both partners have been tested. Washing after intercourse is another preventative measure, although it is not adequate when used alone.
If any symptoms of an STD become apparent, or if any other troubling or unusual symptoms present themselves, men should seek medical advice. Potential symptoms may include discharge from the penis that was not present before and/or is an abnormal color such as yellow, green, or blood-tinged. Blisters, redness, swelling, pain, soreness, tenderness, and rashes are also potential signs of a sexually transmitted disease. Lumps beneath the skin, primarily those that are painless and unmoving, should be checked immediately to rule out penile cancer, although this is very rare.
In the United States and Canada, circumcision is considered a part of proper penis health by many people, although the studies supporting this are limited. Half of all boys in these nations are still circumcised at birth, although most other industrialized countries have ended this practice. The World Health Organization no longer advises routine infant circumcision for penis health, but it is currently considered a personal choice among parents or men on whether or not to have the procedure performed. If a male is left uncircumcised, proper hygiene and cleanliness along with safe sex practices usually offset any potential benefits of having it done.
Penis health may also include the prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunction. The best ways of doing this are to avoid substances which may lead to impotence or erectile dysfunction, such as steroids, and to engage in intercourse regularly. The latter may not be recommended for those outside a committed relationship, due to STD risk.