Do this once a month. The best time is during or right after a warm shower — heat relaxes the scrotum, making it easier to feel for abnormalities.
Look at your scrotum for any visible swelling. It's normal for one testicle to be slightly larger or hang lower than the other.
Hold the testicle between your thumbs and fingers with both hands and gently roll it between your fingers. You're feeling for any hard lumps, smooth rounded masses, or changes in size, shape, or consistency.
This is the soft, rope-like structure at the back of each testicle. It's supposed to be there — it stores and transports sperm. Don't mistake it for a lump. Learning what's normal makes it much easier to spot what isn't.
Check the second testicle the same way. Compare the two — you're looking for anything that feels different from last month or different from the other side.
💡 Key Principle: You're not looking for anything specific the first time — you're establishing a baseline. Once you know what your normal feels like, any change becomes immediately obvious. That's the whole point of monthly checks.
Many lumps and changes turn out to be benign — cysts, hydroceles, varicoceles, or epididymitis are all common non-cancerous causes. But the only way to know is to get checked. The point of a self-exam isn't to diagnose yourself — it's to notice changes early so a doctor can evaluate them promptly.
The survival numbers tell the whole story. Catch it at Stage 1 (still contained to the testicle) and the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%. Let it spread to nearby lymph nodes and it drops to 96%. Let it reach distant organs and it's 73%. Early detection isn't a marginal benefit — it's the difference between a minor procedure and aggressive chemotherapy.
Source: American Cancer Society — 5-year relative survival rates
An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism), even if corrected surgically. A family history of testicular cancer (father or brother). A previous testicular cancer diagnosis (in the other testicle). HIV/AIDS. The average age at diagnosis is about 33 years old, and Caucasian men have a 4-5x higher incidence rate than African American or Asian American men.
Having zero risk factors doesn't mean zero risk. That's why the self-exam matters for everyone — it's 2 minutes a month for something that could genuinely change your life trajectory.
💡 Set a Monthly Reminder: Pick a day — the 1st of every month, for example — and set a phone reminder. "Shower check." That's it. Two minutes, once a month, could be the most valuable health habit you ever build.
Self-awareness starts with data. Our calculators give you real numbers for size, percentile, and comparison — based on clinical studies, not guesswork.
Try the Calculator →Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men. It's also one of the most treatable — if caught early. A monthly self-exam takes less time than brushing your teeth and could genuinely save your life.
This is one of those rare cases where the advice is simple, the action is easy, and the stakes are real. Learn what your normal feels like. Check once a month. See a doctor if anything changes. That's it.
Share this with a friend, a brother, a son. The more guys who know how to do this, the fewer who find out too late.