Prostate Massage: What It Is and the Health Benefits

For penis owners, there’s one piece of the reproductive system that might be a bit elusive. You may know that you have a prostate gland, but you might not know where it is or what it does. 

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that’s located internally between the penis and the anus. If you’ve ever applied pressure to your taint before, you may have felt it. 

The job of the prostate gland is to create the fluid — semen — that your sperm needs to travel. So, every time you ejaculate, you can thank your prostate. 

What a prostate massage is 

Even when you ejactulate, a little bit of fluid is left over. A prostate massage is meant to help the prostate clear any remaining fluid from your prostate ducts. 

Prostate massages can be conducted internally by putting a finger in the rectum to stimulate the prostate by applying slight pressure and massaging. Or, they can be done externally by applying pressure to the perineum, the area between the anus and scrotum. 

Prostate massages can be done by yourself, by a doctor, with your partner, or with a toy. If you’re going to try it at home, remember to use plenty of lube! Be sure to be gentle — applying too much pressure can be damaging. 

Prostate massages can be done for sexual stimulation or for medical purposes.

Health benefits of a prostate massage 

A prostate massage may offer these 4 health benefits:

1. By releasing swelling and pressure due to the buildup of fluids in the prostate, a prostate massage may help to reduce pain and inflammation.
2. A physician may massage the prostate to check if it’s enlarged or inflamed. This may happen during a prostate exam and can help determine if you have any medical conditions that need attention. 
3. A prostate massage may help your urine flow. The prostate, the urethra, and the bladder sit very close to one another, so if your prostate is enlarged, it may be applying pressure and closing off some of all of the urethra. Massaging the prostate may help to release the fluids causing it to enlarge. 
4. Massaging the prostate may also help those who have erectile dysfunction ejaculate more easily. 

If the idea of a prostate massage is overwhelming to you, we recommend starting slow with some touching and exploration and working up to it as you become more comfortable.