Prevention, Healthy Lifestyle
More <
bookmarks-menu

Testicular self-exam

Show Alternative Names
Screening - testicular cancer - self-exam
Testicular cancer - screening - self-exam

Testicular self-exam is an examination of the testicles that you do on yourself.

How the Test is Performed

The testicles (also called the testes) are the male reproductive organs that produce sperm and the hormone testosterone. They are located in the scrotum under the penis.

You can do this test during or after a shower. This way, the scrotal skin is warm and relaxed. It is best to do the test while standing.

  • Gently feel your scrotal sac to locate a testicle.
  • Use one hand to stabilize the testicle. Use your fingers and thumb of the other hand to firmly but gently feel the testicle. Feel the entire surface.
  • Check the other testicle in the same way.

Why the Test is Performed

A testicular self-exam is done to check for testicular cancer.

Testicles have blood vessels and other structures that can make the exam confusing. If you notice any lumps or changes in a testicle, contact your health care provider right away.

Your provider may recommend that you do a testicular self-exam every month if you have any of the following risk factors:

  • Family history of testicular cancer
  • Past testicular tumor
  • Undescended testicle

However, if a man has no risk factors or symptoms, experts do not know if doing testicular self-exam lowers the chance of dying of this cancer. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends against testicular exams in men with no symptoms and no risk factors for testicular cancer.

Normal Results

Each testicle should feel firm, but not rock hard. One testicle may be lower or slightly larger than the other.

Talk to your provider if you have questions.

What Abnormal Results Mean

If you find a small, hard lump (like a pea), have an enlarged testicle, or notice any other differences that do not seem normal, see your provider right away.

Contact your provider if:

  • You cannot find one or both testicles. The testicles may not have descended properly in the scrotum.
  • There is a soft collection of thin tubes above the testicle. This may be a collection of widened veins (varicocele).
  • You have pain or swelling in the scrotum. This may be an infection or a fluid-filled sac (hydrocele) causing a blockage of blood flow to the area. It may be difficult to feel the testicle if there is fluid in the scrotum.

Sudden, severe (acute) pain in the scrotum or testicle that lasts for more than a few minutes is an emergency. If you have this type of pain, seek medical attention right away.

A lump in the testicle is often the first sign of testicular cancer. If you find a lump, see a provider right away. Most testicular cancers are very treatable. Keep in mind that some cases of testicular cancer do not show symptoms until they reach an advanced stage.

Risks

There are no risks with this self-exam.

Review Date: 7/1/2023

Reviewed By

Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

References

American Cancer Society website. Can testicular cancer be found early? www.cancer.org/cancer/testicular-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html. Updated May 17, 2018. Accessed July 18, 2023.

Friedlander TW, Small E. Testicular cancer. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Kastan MB, Doroshow JH, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 83.

National Cancer Institute website. Testicular cancer screening (PDQ) - health professional version. www.cancer.gov/types/testicular/hp/testicular-screening-pdq. Updated April 28, 2023. Accessed July 18, 2023.

US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for testicular cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154(7):483-486. PMID: 21464350 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21464350/.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language.

© 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

All content on this site including text, images, graphics, audio, video, data, metadata, and compilations is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view the content for personal, noncommercial use. Any other use requires prior written consent from Ebix. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, publish, reverse-engineer, adapt, modify, store beyond ordinary browser caching, index, mine, scrape, or create derivative works from this content. You may not use automated tools to access or extract content, including to create embeddings, vectors, datasets, or indexes for retrieval systems. Use of any content for training, fine-tuning, calibrating, testing, evaluating, or improving AI systems of any kind is prohibited without express written consent. This includes large language models, machine learning models, neural networks, generative systems, retrieval-augmented systems, and any software that ingests content to produce outputs. Any unauthorized use of the content including AI-related use is a violation of our rights and may result in legal action, damages, and statutory penalties to the fullest extent permitted by law. Ebix reserves the right to enforce its rights through legal, technological, and contractual measures.

All
Videos
Images
Male reproductive anatomy - Illustration Thumbnail

Male reproductive anatomy

The male reproductive structures include the penis, the scrotum, the testicles (testes), the epididymis, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate.

Illustration

Testicular anatomy - Illustration Thumbnail

Testicular anatomy

The penis is the male organ of reproduction and also the organ of urinary excretion. The testes are a paired set of glands that produce sperm. The scrotum is the sac that houses the testes.

Illustration

Male reproductive anatomy - Illustration Thumbnail

Male reproductive anatomy

The male reproductive structures include the penis, the scrotum, the testicles (testes), the epididymis, the seminal vesicles, and the prostate.

Illustration

Testicular anatomy - Illustration Thumbnail

Testicular anatomy

The penis is the male organ of reproduction and also the organ of urinary excretion. The testes are a paired set of glands that produce sperm. The scrotum is the sac that houses the testes.

Illustration

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language.

© 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

All content on this site including text, images, graphics, audio, video, data, metadata, and compilations is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view the content for personal, noncommercial use. Any other use requires prior written consent from Ebix. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, display, publish, reverse-engineer, adapt, modify, store beyond ordinary browser caching, index, mine, scrape, or create derivative works from this content. You may not use automated tools to access or extract content, including to create embeddings, vectors, datasets, or indexes for retrieval systems. Use of any content for training, fine-tuning, calibrating, testing, evaluating, or improving AI systems of any kind is prohibited without express written consent. This includes large language models, machine learning models, neural networks, generative systems, retrieval-augmented systems, and any software that ingests content to produce outputs. Any unauthorized use of the content including AI-related use is a violation of our rights and may result in legal action, damages, and statutory penalties to the fullest extent permitted by law. Ebix reserves the right to enforce its rights through legal, technological, and contractual measures.
© 1997- adam.com All rights reserved.