This article contains sexually explicit material.
Cojones, balls, bean bags, nuts, huevos, nads, acorns, swingers, dangly bits, the family jewels…whatever you call them, everyone has testicles on the brain during “Movember.” This is the time of year when guys grow facial hair (including the occasional awful mustache) to raise money and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer programs.
The penis tends to take precedence in both health education and sex advice for both men and women but given that the National Cancer Institute anticipates 8,430 new diagnoses of testis cancer this year, we could all use a bit more education about this sensitive and important area. Here are 5 useful videos about every man’s most protected possession—his balls.
‘Testicles’
In her latest Sexplanations video, Dr. Lindsey Doe answers pretty much every question you might have about balls: What they’re made of, how they work and how to bring them pleasure. Dr. Doe includes some creative use of tangerines in a bag, as well as some fascinating trivia. (300 meters of tubing crammed into those guys? Wow.)
‘How to check your testicles’
Men ages 15 to 35 are the highest risk for testicular cancer and checking their testes on a monthly basis is essential (just like a breast self-exam for women). Yet as one comedian explains, feeling around down there may take some getting used to: “You have to look for a lump…in a bag of lumps. That can take some time!” A British TV show Embarrassing Bodies made this matter-of-fact (but very NSFW) video featuring a doctor teaching men how to do a testicular self-exam on a real life model. (Guys can also look to inspiration—if not actual how-to tips—on checking their balls from Ricky Gervais and Will Arnett.)
‘Facts About Testicles That Will Make You Feel Weird’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4reHufvLqdk
Health information is important, but this trivia-filled Buzzfeed video is filled with interesting nuggets about the balls that will educate you in a different way. Learn more about where the name comes from, why you definitely shouldn’t squeeze them, and what Native American women used to do with beaver testicles.
‘What is NOT testicular cancer?’
It’s easy to start panicking when a strange lump or bump appears anywhere on your body. It’s important to know the signs of testicular cancer, but it’s equally important to learn about more benign conditions that can affect the balls. This video from the UK male cancer charity Orchid outlines the symptoms for other testicular conditions, such as STDs.
‘Testicular Cancer’
Any cancer diagnosis can be a frightening and lonely experience. In this video from the UK’s National Health Service, two young men discuss the reality of being diagnosed with—and beating—testicular cancer. They address symptoms, treatment and what life is like afterwards, including the effects on sex life and fertility.
