Check yourself with Steve-O!

OK, guys, it's time. Time for what, you ask? Time to remind you to check yourself for testicular cancer. We've partnered with the Testicular Cancer Society and Steve-O to give you tips and guidance.

A common cancer

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer that afflicts men between the ages of 15 and 35, a stat not known by many in this particular demographic. Testicular cancer is serious, since it's cancer, but catching it early through regular self-exams is the best way to beat it early and allow doctors to give you the best treatment. Knowing about testicular cancer and how to identify it as early as possible will save lives. It's our mission and our partners' mission, too. Enter TCS x Steve-O.

TCS leads the way

The Testicular Cancer Society has identified awareness as the most powerful tool we have right now to save lives in the fight against testicular cancer. Have you heard of Movember? Probably. The thing is, Movember is about a lot more than just growing your beard for fun. The real purpose is to start conversations about testicular (and prostate) cancer. We want men to be as aware of cancer checks and screenings as the way to beat this cancer into submission.

Steve-O

To heighten awareness, MANSCAPED™ has partnered with Steve-O. You might remember him from Jackass, where he took many shots to the groin. Obviously, he knows about testicular pain. Now he's preaching testicular care. Steve-O has some words for you about how to take care of yourself.

How to check yourself for testicular cancer

Ok. You know that you should check your balls. How do you do it? Well, you can watch the Steve-O video above, but if you need to read, it’s pretty easy, so check out our handy guide.

Start in a warm shower

You can check your balls anywhere; you just have to drop your shorts. But, you’ll get the best results when the tissues are relaxed. For that, a warm shower goes a long way. You don’t want a stinging hot shower, but a warm one relaxes everything and makes it much less likely that you’ll find a false red flag. It’s better for the check, and it’s better for your sanity.

Gently cop a feel on your nads

The actual technique for a testicle check is pretty easy. You’re going to gently roll each ball around in your fingers. Don't hurry or be unnecessarily rough. As you feel around, look for bumps or lumps or anything that seems unusual. While you’re checking, just remember the following:

First, it’s normal for your balls to be different sizes. It’s also normal for one to hang lower than the other, so don’t worry about that. When it comes to ball size, look for either testicle changing size over time. If a testicle seems bigger than it used to be, that’s a red flag.

You also want to remember that the epididymis is back there. For those who didn’t get a medical degree, the epididymis is the coiled tube in the back of your sack. It is what actually delivers your man juice to the balls to be released at a later time. It feels like lumps in the back of your scrotum, but it's supposed to be there, so don’t freak out.

The last thing you want to pay attention to is dull soreness and/or heaviness in the balls. If you handle yourself a little too roughly and feel sore, that’s normal. If you have persistent soreness, then you may have an issue. Go see a doctor.

It’s not always cancer

Cancer is scary, so we want to leave you with a little bit of comfort. Not every problem you can find with a testicle check is cancer. There are far less terrifying issues that can put bumps on your balls. They still need to be treated by a doctor, but you don’t need to panic until and unless your physician tells you it’s time to panic.

The same goes for soreness and discomfort. There are plenty of things that can leave your balls sore that aren’t cancer (just ask Steve-O). As long as you’re checking regularly, you will likely find early signs of trouble. That puts you way ahead of the curve for treatment and gives you a much better chance of coming out the other side just fine.

Check monthly

You know the technique. It’s time for the final tip. You should check on your balls once a month.

Now, will you help us spread the word? Let’s make this awareness campaign huge and have guys everywhere beating cancer as early as possible.