Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in one or both testicles. In most cases, only one testicle is affected. It is estimated that 980 Australian men were diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2021, making up about 1.2% of all new cases of cancer diagnosed in men. It most commonly occurs in men aged 25–40 years. Most (more than 90%) of testicular cancers start in germ cells, the cells that develop into sperm.  There are two main types of germ cell tumours: seminoma and non-seminoma.  Seminoma tumours tend to develop more slowly than non-seminoma cancers, and usually in men aged 25 ..read more

Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder (MDD) is a type of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a common but often under-recognised mental illness where a person becomes obsessed with parts of their bodies and how they appear to other people.  BDD affects men and women equally, but muscle dysmorphia occurs largely in males. Men with MDD typically see themselves as not being muscular or lean enough.  It is sometimes referred to as ‘reverse anorexia’ or ‘bigorexia’.  Those who take part in body building are particularly at risk.   Other risk factors including having a low self-est ..read more

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are passed on during unprotected sex with an infected partner. This includes vaginal, anal or oral sex. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STI if they don’t practice safe sex. There are many different STIs including Chlamydia, Herpes, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Mycoplasma genitalium, genital herpes, hepatitis and HIV. Symptoms can vary, depending on the type of STI, but may include: unusual discharge from the penis or anus painful urination sores, blisters, ulcers, warts or rashes in the genital area pain in the scrotum or testicles ..read more

Preparing for pregnancy isn’t just something for the girls. Fertility problems are equally likely to occur in men as women. The good news is that there are a number of things that men can do to improve fertility and increase the chances of conceiving a healthy baby. Here are the habits that matter most: If you smoke, quit. Both active and passive smoking harms sexual and reproductive health in both men and women. For men, it can damage sperm DNA and increase the chances of miscarriage and likelihood of your child developing childhood cancer. Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol, particularly dai ..read more

Metabolic syndrome, also called syndrome X, is a collection of risk factors which together increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that 20-30% of Australian adults are affected. Risk Factors Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when you have three or more of the following risk factors: Excess weight around the middle (a waist circumference of more than 88cm for women and more than 102cm for men of Caucasian background but these may vary for those from different ethnic backgrounds – your doctor can advise you on your individual targets) High triglyceride (fat ..read more

Heart disease is Australia’s single leading cause of death. In 2017, heart disease claimed the lives of 51 Australians each day – that’s one person every 28 minutes. While both men and women are affected, men are more likely to develop heart disease than women. There’s no single cause for heart disease but there are many risk factors which increase your chances of developing it. Risk Factors These risk factors include: Age Family history Ethnic background Smoking Being overweight Being physically inactive Eating an unhealthy diet Having high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol Having diabe ..read more