Notes

Problems Males should watch for any changes or Preventing symptoms that might indicate a problem. If symptoms of any prob- lem are present, see a doctor right away. In many cases, prompt care is the key to avoiding future problems. Here are specific ways to prevent some problems Preventing trauma Trauma refers to injuries that are due to an external force, such as being hit in the genitals. Such injuries can happen while playing sports, from car or bicycle accidents or during horseplay with friends. One way to reduce the risk of traumatic injuries to the testes is to wear protective gear (a cup") when playing sports Preventing infertility Male infertility is the inability to fertilize an egg. Infertility can be genetic but can also be caused by conditions such as heat and trauma to the environmental testes area. A young male can protect his fertility by avoiding injury to the genitals, Males should also avoid hot tempera- tures in the testes, which can lead to low sperm counts Early Detection of Testicular Cancer Testicular cancer is a dis ease that can occur in young men. In fact, testicular cancer is the most common cancer in males between the ages of 15 and 35. A man is particularly at risk for testicular cancer if he had undescended testes as a child, or if testicular cancer runs in his family However, if detected early testicular cancer can be treated very effectively