What It Is

The prostate gland is a part of the body that few people know much about. Not surprisingly, lots of people think the prostate has something to do with regulating the flow of urine because if there is a problem in the prostate, urination can become painful or difficult. The prostate is actually part of the male reproductive system. Most people don’t know what it does and even scientists aren’t sure about all its functions. That’s why we sometimes call it the Secret Sex Gland.

Only men have a prostate gland. In young men, the gland is usually the shape and size of a walnut and it increases slowly in size with age. It lies just underneath the bladder neck and surrounds the tube (urethra) that men pass urine and semen through.

The more detailed picture below shows the different zones of the prostate gland. Prostate cancer can begin and spread from any of these zones.