INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightTesticular Cancer NZImage caption
If you're too shy to face a doctor, the Testimatic is just the thing
for you
Ever thought of getting a health check but worried about having to, well, drop your pants Meet the Testimatic
That's a booth to allow New Zealand men to have their testicles checked without having to face a doctor
Testicular cancer is the number one cancer in young men in Western nations and the booth is being rolled out with fanfare at a big expo in
Auckland.How does it work Into the booth, down with the pants and a doctor will check you anonymously through a little hole.The booth is set
up at this weekend's Big Boys Toys expo, a huge exhibition catering to all things men stereotypically are supposed to be into
So that's stuff like cars, gadgets, action sports, barbeque or construction machinery
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Have those balls checked or check them yourself
Strolling between
all those markers of perceived old school masculinity, you'll run in the Testimatic, labelled as "the world's first auto ball checker".What
you do is muster your courage, step up to the booth, pull a curtain around you and drop your pants
What then happens is not some fancy high tech screening process - instead, there's a good old urologist sitting in the booth who - through a
hole - will have a little feel of your balls
In a matter of minutes, you'll be good to go again
Image copyrightTesticular Cancer NZImage caption
Testicular Cancer New Zealand's promo material encourages men to check
themselves
The project is in line with Testicular Cancer New Zealand's goal to raise awareness of the illness
The cancer has very high rates of being cured, but it all depends on how early it's diagnosed
According to Testicular Cancer New Zealand, 90% of cases are cured - if detected at an early stage, the rate is about 99%
The UK's National Health Service says this form of cancer is the most common form of the disease in men aged between 15 to 45
But it points out that testicular cancer is actually "one of the less common cancers"."Typical symptoms are a painless swelling or lump in
one of the testicles, or any change in shape or texture of the testicles."About 2,200 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in
the UK, the NHS says.But cancer groups warn that not enough men get regular check-ups and are not aware that they should regularly check
Cancer Research UK says "testicular cancer is more common in white males than in Asian or black males".
