Why does prostate cancer threaten a mans identity as a man?
Unlike other forms of cancer, it attacks the physical core of a man’s sexuality, the prostate gland. Then there is the treatment, which can produce impotency, a curse word in the masculine vocabulary. I know of men (my father-in-law was one) who refused treatment, because they would not accept impotency. That is when prostate cancer is more than a disease and becomes an issue of masculine identity and affects the decisions about treatment and medical care. P5 is intended to give men a chance to learn about these issues so they can either apply them to their medical decisions or to their post-treatment lives.
Related Questions
- Im a 70-year-old man who has been told by my doctor that my PSA is now rising 3 years after my radiation for prostate cancer. Should I begin hormonal treatments sooner or later?
- What is a man supposed to do who is diagnosed with prostate cancer but has no medical insurance and a low income?
- Why does prostate cancer threaten a mans identity as a man?
