Men's health, answered
Research-based answers to the health questions men search for, from piles and penis skin to erections, sex and lasting longer. Written from the NHS, medical guidelines and published studies, with every source listed.
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Piles in men: symptoms, causes and what helps
What piles are, what makes them more likely, what helps at home and when to get help from a GP, 111 or 999.
How to last longer in bed: what the evidence says
How long sex usually lasts, which techniques and medicines have evidence, and when to see a GP.
Erectile dysfunction: causes and what helps
What erectile dysfunction is, what causes it, its link with heart disease, what helps and when to see a GP.
Men's sex questions, answered
Short, sourced answers to common questions about penis size, circumcision, blue balls, timing and more.
Anal sex: a safety guide
Consent, condoms, lube, STIs, vaccines, pain and bleeding: a plain guide to safer anal sex for everyone.
Bottom health
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Itchy bum in men: common causes and what helps
Why your bum itches, what helps, how to stop it at night and when to see a GP.
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Bleeding from your bottom: piles, fissures and when to see a GP
What bleeding from your bottom can mean, from piles and fissures to the signs that need a GP, 111 or 999.
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Anal fissure: symptoms, causes and how it heals
What an anal fissure is, why it hurts, how long it takes to heal and when to see a GP.
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Pilonidal sinus (pilonidal cyst): what it is and what hair has to do with it
What a pilonidal sinus is, why hair and sitting matter, the treatments and when to get help.
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Piles (hemorrhoids) or anal fissure? How to tell the difference
Piles and anal fissures side by side: pain, bleeding, lumps, itching, healing and when to see a GP.
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What do piles look and feel like?
Internal and external piles, the four grades, prolapsed and clotted piles, described in plain words.
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Anal bleaching for men: what it is and the risks
What anal bleaching is, which skin-lightening ingredients are banned in the UK, the risks and what to ask.
Penis health
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Balanitis: why the head of the penis gets sore, and what helps
Why the head of the penis gets red, sore and swollen, what causes balanitis and what a GP can do.
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Smegma in men: what it is, why it builds up and how to clean it
What smegma is, why it builds up and smells, how to wash under the foreskin, and when to see a GP.
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Pearly penile papules and Fordyce spots: normal spots on the penis
What pearly penile papules and Fordyce spots are, why UK skin guidance calls them normal, and why the NHS says to always get spots on the penis checked.
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Tight foreskin (phimosis) in adult men: causes and treatment
Why a foreskin tightens in adult men, what a GP can offer, and when a stuck foreskin is an emergency.
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Thrush in men: signs, causes and what helps
Male thrush: the symptoms, how men get it, pharmacy treatments compared, and when to see a GP.
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Torn or tight frenulum in men: what to do
What to do when your frenulum tears or feels tight, how it heals, frenuloplasty and when to get help.
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Dry skin on the penis: why it happens and what helps
Why skin on the penis or foreskin gets dry, flaky or cracked, what helps and when to get it checked.
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Sore, red or rash on the penis after sex: common causes
Why your penis is red, sore or has a rash after sex, what each cause looks like, and when to get help.
Groin health
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Ingrown pubic hair in men: what it looks like, what helps and when to get it checked
Why an ingrown pubic hair happens, what it looks like, bumps on the penis, balls or groin, and when to get checked.
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Itchy balls (itchy scrotum) in men: causes, jock itch and what helps
Why your balls and groin itch, what jock itch is, what the NHS says helps, and when to see a pharmacist or GP.
Lasting longer
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How to stop premature ejaculation: every treatment compared
Every premature ejaculation treatment in the guidelines, with the evidence and how to get it in the UK.
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Premature ejaculation: what counts, causes and when to see a GP
What counts as premature ejaculation, how common it is, what causes it and when to see a GP.
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Kegel exercises for men: how to do pelvic floor exercises, and do they work?
How to find your pelvic floor, build up a routine, and what studies found for erections and PE.
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Delay sprays, creams and gels for men explained
The licensed UK delay sprays, what the trials found, side effects for both partners, and creams and gels.
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What is edging? Stop-start and squeeze techniques to last longer
What edging means, how the stop-start and squeeze techniques work, and what the research says.
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Sexual performance anxiety in men: causes and what helps
Why worry about sex can affect erections and timing, what helps, and when to see a GP.
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How long should sex last? What the research says
What timing studies and sex therapists say about how long sex lasts, and the limits of the numbers.
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Dapoxetine (Priligy) explained
What Priligy (dapoxetine) is, how well it works, side effects, and how men get it in the UK.
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Lidocaine spray and benzocaine: uses and safety explained
What lidocaine and benzocaine are, what they're licensed for in the UK, and their side effects and warnings.
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Does Viagra make you last longer?
What trials and guidelines say about sildenafil for premature ejaculation, with or without erection problems.
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Delay condoms and wipes for men explained
Thicker and benzocaine delay condoms, what the trials found, safety, and the research on delay wipes.
Erections and sex drive
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Low libido in men: common causes of a low sex drive
Why a man's libido can drop, from stress and relationships to medicines and testosterone, and what helps.
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Viagra (sildenafil): how it works, safety and getting it in the UK
How Viagra (sildenafil) works, how long it lasts, side effects, who can't take it and how to get it in the UK.
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Morning wood: what it says about your health
Why men wake up with erections, how they change with age, and what losing them can say about your health.
Sex questions
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Average penis size: what the studies show
The measured averages for length and girth, the UK figures, how studies measure, and what counts as normal.
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Blue balls: is it real?
What blue balls is, what the one large survey found, what eases it, and when testicle pain is an emergency.
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Circumcision in men: recovery, risks and the research on sensitivity
Why circumcision is done, recovery and risks from the NHS and BAUS, and what studies found about sensitivity.
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The male orgasm explained
What happens during a man's orgasm and ejaculation, the refractory period, and when to see a GP.
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Foreplay: a practical guide for men
What foreplay is, how long couples want it to last, and what research says about talking and consent.
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How often should a man ejaculate?
What studies say about ejaculation frequency, prostate cancer and sperm, and why no guidance sets a number.
Anal sex and your health
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Anal warts and other infections around the bottom
What anal warts look like, how HPV spreads, free treatment, the HPV vaccine and other causes of lumps.
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Lube for anal sex: what to look for
Why anal sex needs lube, which types work with condoms, and what the WHO says about ingredients.
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How to prepare for anal sex: hygiene and douching safely
Talking, hygiene, lube and whether to douche: how to prepare for anal sex, with what research says.
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Rimming: the health risks and how to reduce them
What rimming is, the infections it can pass on, and how vaccines, barriers and washing lower the risk.
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Prostate massage: what it is, what the research says and safety
What prostate massage is, how medicine has used it, what the studies found, and how to stay safe.
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Pegging: a health and safety guide
What pegging means, and the safety basics: consent, lube, condoms on toys, cleaning, infections and pain.