The prostate is a gland that sits at the base of the bladder and secretes fluids that are one component of semen. Because the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder) runs through the prostate into the center of the penis, any swelling of the prostate caused by infection, inflammation, or cancer can disrupt the flow of urine. The prostate can be examined during a rectal examination, when it is palpated (felt) for enlargement, irregularity, or tenderness by the health care provider. It is usually about the size of a walnut and is firm. The prostate can become infected with sexually transmitted bacteria, occasionally after a urethral infection, but this is uncommon when treatment with antibiotics is started early in response to these infections. Men can also contract infections of the prostate that are not sexually transmitted. Cancer of the prostate occurs more commonly in men over the age of fifty and a noncancerous swelling of the prostate, called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also occurs more often in this age group.
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