How to check your balls

It’s time to build a better relationship with your body – starting with the testicles

While you may be being encouraged to stop playing with your penis and balls in some contexts, we are encouraging you to do the exact opposite here. And it’s for your own good. A quick check every month goes a long way to preventing testicular cancer.

But why?

When was the last time you checked your balls to see how they’re doing? If it was recently, keep doing it. If you’ve not done it before, it’s not too late to start.

It’s all about building a relationship with your balls. It sounds ridiculous to say, but it’s a very easy (and necessary) thing to do. You already see them every day, touch them every day, and clean them every day (or you should be). You need to know how they usually feel, to then notice when something isn’t right, for example if there’s a lump.

So, why not give them a good check to see if they’re healthy?

We’re asking you to do this because testicular cancer is the most common cancer of men aged between 25 and 49. But it happens to younger and older guys too. So, a simple ball-check will give you the best chance of finding anything, and early on. We’re not saying you need to do it every day. Once a month is enough. It’s the best way to notice if there are any changes over time to your testicles. Changes can tell you a lot about your health, for example a new lump, bump, or swelling. It’s about noticing something different. Simple as that.

There are lots of healthy changes that can happen, especially around the time of puberty. So any changes you notice aren’t necessarily worrying.

Okay, so what’s the story?

Although most cancers get more common as you get older, testicular cancer is different. It’s most likely to happen when you’re young or middle aged.

Cancer can be a scary word, but the stats are favourable on this one. Teenage Cancer Trust say that the chances of making a full recovery from testicular cancer are good, but finding it early makes it a lot easier to treat. In short, more than 98% of men who get testicular cancer will be cured.

How do I go about this then?

Rather than ‘grow a pair’, you need to ‘grab a pair’! (Your own pair, of course.)

It’s a good practice to get into, so just work it into your routine. Doing it after a bath or shower is best, because the skin around your balls will be loose and relaxed. Rest your balls in the palm of your hand, and gently roll each one between finger and thumb. What you’re looking for may include:

A lump (which might be painless)
Increased size
Hardness
Pain or heaviness in the ball sack

Just so you know, it’s normal to have one ball slightly bigger, or hanging slightly lower than the other. This is an example of why you should get to know what’s normal for you and then look for changes over time.

If you do find something strange, don’t stew over it or try to ignore it. Just get an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can – they’re there to help, not to scare you. Ball problems are usually caused by something much less serious than cancer, so it’s best to get checked over and know for sure. Doctors are the best placed people to figure out what’s wrong, instead of trying to figure it out yourself.