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How to tell you aren’t as young as you used to be

While donating blood, you ask, "So, do I get a prostate exam with this?"

I’ve had several people explain the difference between prostrate and prostate and the typo has been corrected. I also now understand why when I ask for a prostrate massage, I get a back rub.

Update: For the record, I didn’t really ask if a prostate examine was included. I did ask if they performed a PSA blood test. Medic does PSA tests once a year during their September blood drive.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in the blood. The doctor takes a blood sample, and the amount of PSA is measured in a laboratory. Because PSA is produced by the body and can be used to detect disease, it is sometimes called a biological marker or a tumor marker.

It is normal for men to have a low level of PSA in their blood; however, prostate cancer or benign (not cancerous) conditions can increase a man’s PSA level.

[Source, National Cancer Institute, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test]