While I definitely would not let this "doctor" examine my prostate, I applaud CBS for this educational video for several reasons: it is almost as funny as this doctor (does anybody know if he's still taking new patients) and is as accurate as this guy (talk about doctors who only use their left side of their brain) without being such a bore.
Dr Schloffengut's message essentially boils down to this: if you're a man over 50, talk to your doctor about whether or not you need a prostate exam. Is Dr Schloffengut recommending talk therapy for the prostate? Hardly. He is recommending that men talk to their doctor before diving into a prostate exam (does that sound wrong), not only because it is always a good idea to talk to letting any doctor plunge a finger into any of your orifices, but because the decision to try to screen for prostate cancer simply isn't a slam dunk.
In a nutshell: some men may benefit from prostate cancer screening, and some may be harmed by prostate cancer screening, and it is not entirely easy to sort it all out. Consequently--before men consent to this graceless experience (unless Lou Rawls is your doctor), they deserve to partake in a discussion and share in the decision about whether this will benefit them.
His recommendation is consistent with that from the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommendation.
A blog called For ME & MY Prostate! Really?
ReplyDeletehttp://formeandmyprostate.com/
Testing, I haven't been able to post comments here
ReplyDeleteOkay, I think I've got it
ReplyDeleteDr David, for some reason your blog won’t let me post a comment, so I’m going to do it here.
My husband is 51, I’ve been encouraging him to get a prostate exam. You would think I was suggesting we drive a train up his penis.
As women we have more people coming in and out of us than a bus station
Now I have to go read a blog dedicated to this prostate.