Men's health up close: a frank conversation with urologist Oleksandr Naumchuk
Kyiv • UNN
Oleksandr Naumchuk, operating urologist with many years of experience
In the face of modern challenges and transformations, Ukrainian society is paying more and more attention to the topics of health and relationships. Oleksandr Naumchuk is a speaker at My Fest, the first festival in Ukraine dedicated to mental health and sexual culture, and is a leading expert who helps break down stereotypes and stigmas surrounding men's health.
An operating urologist with many years of experience, Oleksandr Naumchuk is known for his frankness and professional approach to the most delicate medical issues. On March 29-30, Pochayna Event Hall will host My Fest, where, along with topics of finding motivation, maintaining relationships, accepting oneself, and open dialogue in the context of war, a professional will reveal extremely important aspects of men's reproductive health.
In this interview, we discussed how to take care of your body, understand its needs, communicate with your partner, and be aware of issues of sexual culture. Oleksandr Naumchuk shared expert advice with UNN that will help everyone better understand and maintain their health.
- Is the attitude of Ukrainian men towards their health changing?
Yes, today. More and more men are simply turning to me for preventive checkups, for preventive consultations. And to be honest, 2-3 patients a day come to me and just say: "I'm not worried about anything. I watched your videos and would like to take a certain range of men's tests for myself, for prevention. Can you tell me which ones?". That is, yes - they are more worried about their men's health.
- How often should boys and adult men see a urologist, even if they don't see any obvious deviations?
If we are talking about children, they should be shown at one year, at 3 years, before school, at 11-12 years, when there is puberty, and when they start living a sexual life, they should see a urologist either with their parents, if they are not 18, or, if they are 18, on their own. And adult men should see a doctor once a year to take a range of men's tests and have at least an ultrasound of the urinary system.
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- What are the main problems of sexual culture among modern youth that you observe?
The main problem is the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. And even if someone has transmitted something to someone, they may not even tell each other, at a minimum.
- Can sexual culture affect the level of sexually transmitted diseases?
Of course. If people understand that they have a problem with sexually transmitted diseases. Or they found out about it after open sexual intercourse, or even protected, it doesn't matter, they need to warn their partner. That's all.
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- Does regular sex or masturbation really have a beneficial effect on health?
Yes. If there is no regular sex or masturbation - there will be stagnant phenomena. There will be stagnant phenomena - there will be inflammation of the prostate gland. If there is inflammation of the prostate gland, there will be problems with erection, libido, pain, discomfort, and so on.
- And will it be the same from full sexual intercourse and from masturbation in general?
No. Sexual intercourse and masturbation are different moments, it's a different release of dopamine, it's different kinds of pleasure. So these are different procedures, and it's better to have sexual intercourse after all.
- What affects the quality of sperm?
The quality of sperm is affected by what a man eats, how he leads his lifestyle, whether he has sports activities, whether there is alcohol, whether there is no alcohol, whether there is smoking. Many things affect it. Elementary, today the quality of sperm can depend on stress and depression, and on whether a man gets enough sleep or not.
- What, besides genetics, can affect the size of the penis in men?
Testosterone level - if it is low, then the size of the penis may be small.
- In one of the interviews, you talked about intimate fillers for men, about the method of penis enlargement. Are there any contraindications for such procedures?
There are contraindications. These are oncological diseases, inflammatory diseases at this moment or in the period when the patient wants to carry out this manipulation. And also a contraindication may be dysmorphophobia, when the patient does not understand why he is doing it, when he wants more and more, and so on.
- Now on the Internet, we see many bloggers who advise exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, especially for women who have problems with urinary incontinence, and for everyone else for the prevention of stagnant processes. Is there any benefit from these exercises?
If women have urinary incontinence, they have two or more children, they sign during coughing, sneezing, running, then believe me, no Kegel exercises will help here. Here you need to listen not to bloggers, but to see a urologist. Again, not a gynecologist, but a urologist. And undergo a certain urodynamic examination, uroflowmetry, and after that, decide on the treatment tactics. Most likely, this is an operative treatment tactic. I literally conduct today: we put a special mesh that supports the urethra. Kegel exercises do not support the urethra. Yes, they can solve incontinence in the early stages, but not in severe stages. As for everyone else for the prevention of stagnant processes. Let's start with the fact that if there are stagnant phenomena, then Kegel exercises, on the contrary, can lead to a disease or an inflammatory process in the prostate gland. In general, is there any benefit from these exercises? Yes. Because blood circulation in the small pelvis improves.
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- Can medical professionals, including urologists, influence the formation of a healthy sexual culture?
Of course they can. Urologists, gynecologists, sexopathologists, sexologists, everyone who has a medical degree can influence the formation of a healthy sexual culture.
- What are the strangest myths/prejudices about men's, and possibly women's, health that you, as a urologist, have encountered?I>
There are many myths about men's health and emotional state that have no scientific evidence but are still common in society. One such myth is that men should not show emotions, when in fact expressing feelings is natural and necessary for mental well-being. Another misconception is that men do not need to see a doctor unless they are in pain. However, many diseases can develop asymptomatically, so preventive checkups are important for maintaining health. There is also a myth that after 40, potency inevitably decreases, although in reality this process depends on lifestyle, physical activity, and the general condition of the body. Finally, the common misconception that penis size affects sexual activity is not true, because emotional intimacy, mutual understanding between partners, and overall health are of paramount importance.
- Does openness on sex issues affect the level of sexual health?
Of course. I always say that you need to talk about sex. A couple should discuss how they want it, when they want it, where they want it. Because neither a man nor a woman can read each other's minds. Therefore, the more open these issues are in a couple about sexual intercourse, the better their sexual health is.
