Dr. Sam Adegboye, a physician, has dismissed the notion that frequent sexual activity lowers the risk of prostate cancer in men. Adegboye, who serves as the Assistant Chief Medical Officer and General Practitioner at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State, refuted the claim during a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. He stated: "Most neurological studies do not support this claim. For instance, a review of the American Journal of Neurology revealed some biases. Research must be evidence-based, and currently, there is no concrete proof from neurologists to back this idea, although some traditional beliefs endorse it."
Adegboye emphasized that men can assess their prostate health through a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
He explained: "Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition where the prostate gland enlarges beyond its normal size. It is also called benign prostatic hypertrophy or simply an enlarged prostate. While it is not cancerous, BPH can cause urinary difficulties in older men due to the enlarged prostate pressing against the urethra."
Further clarifying, he said: "The term ‘benign’ means non-cancerous, ‘prostate’ refers to the male reproductive gland surrounding the urethra, and ‘hypertrophy’ describes an increase in cell size leading to gland enlargement."
Adegboye added that an enlarged prostate can cause urinary obstruction, making it difficult for men to urinate. In such cases, a doctor may need to insert a catheter to aid urination.
Regarding PSA levels, he explained: "If PSA levels are high, it may indicate prostate cancer or benign prostate hypertrophy. However, BPH alone does not necessarily mean a person has cancer, as various factors can elevate PSA levels. For example, recent sexual activity, strenuous exercise, or a recent medical procedure could cause temporary PSA elevation, leading to misleading results."
