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Medical Author:

Patrick R Frey, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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The best time to examine testicles is during or after a shower or bath. The warm water allows the scrotum to relax and the testicles to drop down. The left testicle normally hangs a bit lower than the right. It is common for one testicle to be larger than the other one.

Young men should examine themselves once a month. More frequent exams actually may result in missing a slowly changing lump.

How to conduct a testicular self-exam

• Support each testicle with one hand and examine it with the other.
• Gently roll each testicle between the thumb and fingers. Testicles should feel firm and smooth, about the consistency of a hard-boiled egg without the shell.
• The epididymis is a ropelike structure attached to the back of the testis. This structure is not an abnormal lump
• Feel for firm masses, lumps, or nodules in the testicle. In cancer, these lumps often are painless.
• Become familiar with normal size, shape, and weight of each testicle and epididymis. This will help you recognize a change from one self-examination to the next, if a change should occur.

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