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sex term, “teabagging” refers to taking a man’s testicle into one’s mouth. Some men “teabag” their partner, which may go something like this: his partner is lying down on the bed, mouth open, and then he squats on top of her and lowers his testicle into her waiting mouth for oral stimulation—kind of like how a teabag is lowered into a cup of hot water.
T HAT’S W HAT (S E ) MEN A RE M ADE O F
    S emen (also called ejaculate) is a combination of fluids from several different body parts including the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland. Sperm make up only a tiny amount of seminal volume. A small amount of fluid is from the Cowper’s glands, which are small, peasized glands at the base of the penis. The Cowper’s glands secrete fluid that may begin dripping out of the urethra long before a man actually ejaculates any semen. As it comes out first, it’s called “pre-ejaculate” (or pre-cum). It does not contain sperm. Sometimes the pre-ejaculate doesn’t make it all the way out of the penis ahead of time and the fluids end up getting swept up with the other seminal fluids, completely unnoticed.
    Pre-ejaculate is one of the things I find most fascinating about men’s bodies. This small amount of fluid plays two important roles. By being released first, the fluid helps lubricate a man’s penis and, during intercourse with a woman, helps to lubricate the vagina. Also, pre-ejaculate helps to make the man’s urethra less acidic so that by the time the sperm come out during ejaculation, they survive the trip out of the penis. If the urethra were too acidic, the sperm might be damaged. Pre-ejaculate helps sperm stay safe.
T HE P ROSTATE
    T he prostate gland sits beneath a man’s bladder. Although small, it produces about 25 to 30 percent of the volume of semen. That may not seem like a lot, but some men are pretty active in terms of their masturbation or partnered sex lives and may keep their prostate quite busy. This is completely fine as far as the prostate is concerned. In fact, some research suggests that frequent masturbation or sex while men are young (in their twenties and thirties) is linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer in older age. 8 Instead of making fun of a man or scolding him for frequent masturbation, why not encourage it, take part in it, or keep the house stocked with tissues or sufficient “bad towels” (unless you want him to use the good ones, which I wouldn’t advise lest they lose their softness)?
    As men get into their forties and fifties, it is common for the prostateto enlarge, which can make some men feel as though they have to urinate (pee) even when they don’t (older age brings lots of these “false alarms”). This may feel like sweet justice to all the moms who spent their twenties, thirties, or forties running to the bathroom while they were pregnant or after they had their baby while their partner hung out on the couch or stayed asleep in bed. Frequent urination should always be brought to the attention of one’s health care provider.
    Of course, other things can go wrong with the prostate that are far more serious. Prostate cancer is, unfortunately, one of the most common cancers among men as they age. Men should be encouraged to check in with their health care providers for information about annual prostate exams as they get into their forties and fifties (recommendations will vary from man to man depending on their personal health and family history).
— Making It Easy —
12. What to do if . . . he’s anxious about his penis size
    Although size seems to matter to some sex partners, the differences among most men’s penis size are so minor that it matters less than many think. This is especially true given what we talked about in the last chapter: that the vagina changes in shape and size during sexual arousal and depending on the sexual position. Vaginal lubrication and