Age For Prostate Exam: When Do I Need One? - Healthline

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Prostate Health

What’s the Recommended Age for a Prostate Exam?

Medically reviewed by Aaron R. Block, MD MPH CPH DABFM MSCP — Written by Corinne O'Keefe Osborn — Updated on March 3, 2026

When to start
Should you get one?
How to prepare
What to expect
Results
FAQ
Takeaway

Key takeaways

Doctors may begin asking if you want prostate cancer screenings when you reach age 50. Whether you have these screenings is your choice – they have benefits and some potential risks.
Modern screening involves a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), rather than a physical prostate exam.
If PSA levels are elevated, a doctor may suggest a prostate exam as the next step, along with medical imaging.

If you are between 50 and 69, a doctor may offer you regular prostate cancer screenings. If you have risk factors for prostate cancer, they may recommend beginning them sooner.

Routine prostate cancer screenings can help detect cancer when it’s still in the early stages, before symptoms arise. An earlier diagnosis can lead to better outcomes.

But it’s important to be aware of this approach’s shortcomings. Ultimately, whether you have screenings is your decision.

Language matters

The use of binary terms such as “male” and “female” or “men” and “women” in this article reflects the language of the sources we’ve used. Unless otherwise noted, it’s unclear whether the research we reference included participants with expansive gender identities.

At what age should men get a prostate exam?

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends first discussing screenings at age 50 if you have an average risk of prostate cancer. This can give you time to gather information and come to a decision.

However, this advice varies for people with a higher risk for prostate cancer, particularly more aggressive cancers. The ACS recommends discussing screenings at age 40 or 45 for people who:

have a family history of prostate cancer, especially in a first-degree relative
have known genetic changes that increase the risk of prostate cancer, BRCA1 or BRCA2
are Black, since prostate cancer develops more often, and often at a younger age, than in other racial groups – the reasons for this are unclear

Screening typically involves a PSA blood test. It may also involve a digital rectal exam (DRE), but PSA tests can be more sensitive and less invasive.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that people decide for themselves whether to undergo a prostate cancer screening test after talking it over with their doctor.

Prostate screenings are not compulsory, though, and they do have some downsides.

Should you get a prostate exam?

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of this test.

Benefits of screening

The main benefit of prostate cancer screening is that it can detect cancer before the symptoms develop, which allows for faster diagnosis and treatment.

This can prevent the cancer from spreading, especially if it’s an aggressive type. Aggressive types of prostate cancer are less common, but they can grow quickly.

Since the 1990s, the risk of death from prostate cancer in the United States has gone down. It’s unclear whether this drop is a direct result of the screenings. It could also reflect improved treatment options.

Drawbacks of screening

While screening has the potential to catch cancer early, it can also cause unnecessary worry. This is because the tests involved are nonspecific – they don’t only detect cancer.

Both PSA tests and DREs detect swelling or inflammation of the prostate, which could be happening for several reasons, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatitis.

The results could help doctors identify and treat these conditions, but until they confirm it isn’t cancer, the screening process could be stressful. Benign causes may not need any treatment.

Additionally, medical imaging tests don’t firmly rule out cancer as a possibility, a doctor may recommend performing a biopsy. This involves undergoing surgery. As with all surgeries, this comes with a risk of pain or infection.

Sometimes, even if someone has prostate cancer, the risks of treating it may outweigh the benefits. Some types of prostate cancer are very slow-growing and don’t cause symptoms for a long time, if ever.

Intensive treatments with chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery may have little benefit in these cases, especially if the person is already older in age or has other health conditions.

Because of these risks, the USPSTF recommends against routine prostate screening with blood tests for men ages 70 and above.

The ACS recommends that people thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of prostate screenings with their doctor before making any decisions.

Preparing for a prostate screening

There’s nothing special that you need to do to prepare for a PSA test or a DRE, but tell your doctor if you have anal fissures or hemorrhoids, as a DRE may aggravate these.

If you undergo a prostate cancer screening, your doctor will likely order a blood test, so inform the person drawing your blood if you’re prone to dizziness or have a needle or blood phobia.

What to expect during the exam

You can get a prostate screening easily and quickly at your doctor’s office.

For a PSA test, a medical professional will use a needle to draw a small amount of blood from a vein in the arm. They will send the sample to a lab for analysis.

A DRE is a little more involved. Before performing this exam, your doctor will ask you step behind a curtain or into a private room to change into a gown, removing your clothing from the waist down.

Next, a doctor will ask you to bend over at the waist or lie on the exam table in a fetal position, with your knees to your chest. They will then insert a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum.

Your doctor will feel for anything atypical, such as bumps or hard or soft areas that might indicate a problem. Your doctor may also be able to feel if your prostate is enlarged.

A DRE can be uncomfortable, especially if you have hemorrhoids, but it’s quick.

What the results mean

The results of a prostate cancer screening aren’t always conclusive right away.

Typical results

If the results of your DRE are typical, your next steps will depend on your age, health, and PSA levels.

The ACS makes these recommendations:

People with a PSA level of less than 2.5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) may only need to be retested every 2 years.
People with a PSA level of 2.5 ng/mL or greater should be screened annually.

Be aware that PSA levels could increase within these time frames. Some may choose to have a screening along with their annual physical.

Atypical results

A PSA level that’s elevated may indicate prostate cancer, but it may also indicate other conditions, such as BPH or prostate infections.

PSA levels can also increase due age, infection, size of the prostate gland, and more.

If your PSA is high, your doctor may recommend another PSA test to confirm the number, and a DRE if you haven’t already had one.

Similarly, if your doctor feels something atypical during the DRE, they may recommend a PSA blood test, if they haven’t done so already.

If you have an atypical DRE and high PSA levels, your doctor may recommend additional tests, including:

transrectal ultrasound
MRI scan
prostate biopsy

FAQ

Should I poop before a prostate exam?

You don’t need to poop or change your bathroom habits before a prostate exam. If you need to use the bathroom, or if using the bathroom before the exam will make you more comfortable, you can.

How painful is a prostate exam?

A prostate exam might be uncomfortable, but it is not known to be painful, and there should not be lasting discomfort following the exam.You might experience the urge to urinate or brief discomfort.

A prostate exam might be uncomfortable, but it is not known to be painful, and there should not be lasting discomfort following the exam.

You might experience the urge to urinate or brief discomfort.

Can I check my own prostate?

Only a licensed healthcare professional can check the prostate accurately.

Takeaway

Doctors typically begin offering prostate cancer screening tests from around age 50 to 69.

If you have a family history of cancer, are Black, or have known genetic mutations, begin the conversation with your doctor to see if screening for prostate cancer is a good idea starting at age 40.

A prostate screening can help your doctor find prostate cancer early, when it’s still asymptomatic – but you’ll need to decide if the advantages of screening outweigh the disadvantages.

Prostate cancer screening typically involves a simple blood test. When necessary, a doctor may recommend a DRE.

If either or both of your prostate cancer screening tests are atypical, you and your doctor will discuss the next steps.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

American Cancer Society recommendations for prostate cancer early detection. (2023).https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html
Can prostate cancer be found early? (2025).https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html
Prostate cancer: Screening. (2018).https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/document/RecommendationStatementFinal/prostate-cancer-screening
Prostate cancer risk factors. (2023).https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/prostate-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

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Medically reviewed by Aaron R. Block, MD MPH CPH DABFM MSCP — Written by Corinne O'Keefe Osborn — Updated on March 3, 2026

Age For Prostate Exam: When Do I Need One? - Healthline

Prostate Health

Key takeaways

Language matters

At what age should men get a prostate exam?

Should you get a prostate exam?

Benefits of screening

Drawbacks of screening

Preparing for a prostate screening

What to expect during the exam

What the results mean

Typical results

Atypical results

FAQ

Should I poop before a prostate exam?

How painful is a prostate exam?

Can I check my own prostate?

Takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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