The silent affliction of the Nigerian male anatomy lies not in politics or poverty but beneath the belt — in the quiet rebellion of the prostate gland. Across cities and rural settlements, thousands of men groan beneath an unspoken weight: the slow, stealthy degradation of their reproductive health, often masked by pride, ignorance, and the illusion of invincibility. In hospitals from Lagos to Lokoja, the pattern is disturbingly uniform — men arrive too late, when the malignancy has already metastasized, and hope hangs by a thread of regret.
The prostate, that modest gland nestled between the bladder and the rectum, performs an unsung role — secreting the vital fluid that sustains human continuity. Yet, like a sentinel neglected, it rebels when unattended. Benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and the more ominous prostate carcinoma have emerged as scourges haunting middle-aged and elderly Nigerian men. What renders this epidemic even more tragic is not its biological complexity but its cultural camouflage: the myth that real men do not discuss their health until death whispers from within.
Medical experts have long warned that the prostate does not demand grandeur in care — only consistency. A diet rich in lycopene, zinc, and antioxidants; regular exercise; moderation in alcohol; and early screening — particularly the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test — could save countless lives. Yet, these measures falter against the barricade of machismo and misinformation. In communities where conversations about sexuality are hushed and hospitals symbolize weakness, the price of silence is often fatal.
The Nigerian man must unlearn the ancient lie that strength is the art of endurance. True strength is vigilance — the courage to confront one’s frailty before it becomes fatal. The government, too, must rise beyond rhetorical healthcare reforms to actualize national screening programs, rural sensitization, and policy-backed medical subsidies. Prostate awareness must leave the domain of private whispers and enter the public lexicon of national health discourse.
Until the Nigerian man begins to treat his body not as an indestructible monument but as a sacred trust, the cemetery will continue to inherit the unspoken tales of preventable deaths. The time for prostate health consciousness is not tomorrow. It is now — for silence has already buried too many.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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