“Affected by the touch”: Meanings attributed to prostate

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify and analyze meanings attributed to practices related to prostate cancer prevention among men. A qualitative methodology was employed, with semi-structured interviews being conducted with 21 men in the city of Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia, between July and August of 2017. Data analysis was based on a dialectical hermeneutic approach. We found that practices related to prostate cancer prevention were based on scarce information and permeated by a sense of fear of the disease, which was thought of as a death sentence. Additionally, these feelings were compounded by the repercussions of rectal examination, perceived as a violation of one’s masculinity. We were able to observe that practices devised to prevent prostate cancer reflect the repercussions of conceptions of masculinity regarding men’s health care, where manliness and toughness can be susceptible by the touch.