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Prostatitis is a disease of the prostate gland and affects approximately
9% of all post pubescent men, with consequences of discomfort,
pain, high cost of treatment, cost of reduced effectiveness professionally
and socially, and for many of those affected including family members,
a miserable quality of life. In medical terms it is a *common*
disease not rare - no matter what anyone tells you! With prostatitis
you do NOT have a rare disease!
Prostatitis CP/CPPS is the most common urological condition in
men under 50 years of age. It can effect *any* male after puberty.
It is a very frustrating disease to treat. Prostatitis is a SERIOUS
DISEASE not to be underestimated and as Stamey put it: "the
wastebasket of clinical ignorance"
If you see a description of prostatitis which *begins* with a
statement about it being 'inflammation of the prostate' (simple
dictionary definition, word derivation, and outdated) then be aware
you are not likely to be reading much useful information if that
is what the author thinks is a good introduction!
".......Two studies were obtained in an independent literature
search. One of them, appearing in the March issue of The Journal
of Urology, Placed the prevalence of the disease at 11.5%
in men between 20 and 50 years old and 8.5%
in men aged 50 and older (J Urol 2001; 165:842-5) An earlier study
used Olmstead County data to obtain an overall prevalence rate of
9% (Urology 1998; 51:578-84). The initial study data was presented
at the annual AUA meeting in Anaheim."
"Costs related to Prostatitis
extend beyond the obvious"
- Urology Times November 2001: see utcosts.pdf
The financial costs of Prostatitis are more than might first be
expected. It is most commonly a chronic, and sometimes, a disabling
disease. There are direct, and less direct costs, including the
social cost of lives and families disrupted - difficult to price,
but very much a factor.
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