Doctors use the digital rectal exam both to evaluate symptoms and to screen for diseases even when you don't have symptoms. The symptoms that prompt a rectal exam are those that affect the digestive ...

Like most men, I'll never forget my first time. I was 50-ish. On command, I dropped my drawers and bent over the examining table. I heard the snap of the gloves and I felt some resistance as an index ...

Mark Gurarie is a writer covering health topics, technology, music, books, and culture. He also teaches health science and research writing at George Washington University's School of Medical and ...

A “penis exam” is more involved than you might think. Doctors know it as a genitourinary (GU) and rectal exam, which involves your: Let’s go over what’s involved, why you should get it done regularly, ...

Routine use of MRI during active surveillance of men with prostate cancer allows patients to skip digital rectal examinations and some biopsies, and this approach is best practice, according to an ...

Dear Doctor K: I'm a healthy man in my 50s. I dread having a physical because of the digital rectal exam. Is it really necessary?