Help & Advice
Check yourself out regularly and speak to someone if you are ever worried.
It's as easy as A, B, C
Always
Be
Checking
Get Checking
It's easy, simple and quick. There is obviously a time and place to check your balls. A nice hot shower is a great place to give yourself the once over. Learn to feel for any differences in your testicles and begin to be self aware. Check regularly!
Worried about a lump� What should I do?
Firstly, and most importantly, go and get it checked. Most lumps are benign (which means they aren’t cancer) so you shouldn’t worry, but ALWAYS get it checked by a doctor.
Concerned? Worried?
Well, firstly... don't panic. Speak to your GP and get yourself checked out. Your GP is a doctor and part of their training is to see and feel all sorts of body parts. Yours aren't going to be anything new or different or that they haven't seen before! If you want to see a male doctor, just ask. They've got balls too!!!
What’s the chance it’s cancer?
It could be an infection. Only about 4% (or 4 out of every 100) end up being cancerous. But the important thing is not to ignore it! We unfortunately hear of too many stories where men thought they should go to see the doctor but didn’t. Testicular cancer is treatable, and even more so if it is caught early.
One of my balls is bigger...
This is true for all of us, but it should only be a concern if you have noticed a change. That’s why we suggest checking your testicles regularly � so that you can be aware of any changes. If it has changed, get yourself down to your local doctors.
I don’t want the doctor to feel my nuts.
Nuts, Balls and Bollocks. The whole point of Ballboys is to make you feel able to go and speak to your doctor without embarrassment. Our goal (Balls.. ha ha geddit?) is to remove the taboo of talking about your testicles with the doctor. Women had to overcome their embarrassment to tackle the problem of Breast Cancer. Now it’s our turn. Don’t be embarrassed to get them out in front of the doctor. And if you want to see a male doctor, just ask! What’s a little embarrassment compared to finding out you could have fixed whatever was wrong if you’d just gone earlier.
What should I check for?
As well as feeling your balls regularly, you should be self-aware. That means that if you feel different then you should see your doctor. But ‘feel different how..?’ Well, you could have different symptoms � a dull ache, general discomfort (and not because you’ve caught it in your zip!) and a general heaviness in your scrotum (ball sack). You should also be aware of general tiredness and feeling poorly � sometimes you could have more than one symptom.
People I know have had testicular cancer � should I be more concerned?
Unfortunately this type of illness does mean that you are at greater risk. But only if it was a family member � not if it was just a mate. You can’t catch it by sitting next to someone. If your brother or father had testicular cancer then you just need to check more regularly and report anything to the doctor at the first sign of any change or if you are at all worried.
Get it checked early
If you notice any changes, go to the doctor straight away. Don’t try to wait it out and see if the lump disappears. Testicular cancer is rare, but VERY treatable � especially treatable if it’s caught early. But if you wait, then it can get worse. It’s best to get checked early.
