A female sexual health therapist, Princessa Lucci Aggrey, has sparked reactions online after claiming that men should sit or squat while urinating rather than stand to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Aggrey made the claim while featuring as a guest on Apostle Femi Lazarus’ “Declassified” podcast, where the discussion focused on prostate cancer and its prevalence among men.
During the conversation, the therapist revealed that she had advised her son to stop standing while urinating and instead sit or squat.
She explained that, in her view, standing while urinating puts pressure on the prostate, while sitting or squatting allows urine to pass more easily.
“I told my son, from henceforth you will either sit to pee or squat to pee,” she said.
Femi Lazarus, curious about her advice, asked her to explain the reason behind it.
Responding, Aggrey said, “Because when you stand to pee, you put stress on your prostate, but when you squat to pee or you sit to pee, you ease it.”
During the discussion, Lazarus referenced the practice of squatting to urinate in Northern Nigeria, noting that it was once something people joked about.
Aggrey subsequently claimed that prostate cancer was “very rare” among men in the North because of the practice.
She also linked squatting while defecating to better bowel relaxation, arguing that it allows the rectum and other parts of the digestive system to relax.
However, her claims about sitting or squatting while urinating preventing prostate cancer have not been established as a medically proven method of preventing the disease. Prostate cancer has several known risk factors, including age, family history and genetics.
The claims have since generated reactions online, with many Nigerians debating the therapist’s assertions and the possible benefits or drawbacks of sitting or squatting while urinating.
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Meanwhile, an expert, Ovunda Omudu, Head of the Department of Surgery at Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, has said that 40 per cent of men aged about 40 are living with prostate cancer, with many unaware of their status.
Omudu, a trained urologist, disclosed this on Thursday while delivering a lecture on cancer to officers and ratings of the Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinder in Port Harcourt.
According to him, prostate cancer has claimed many lives due to factors including poor awareness, ignorance, lack of knowledge and inadequate manpower.
He also noted that treatment for the disease was expensive, with one injection administered to patients every three months costing between N90,000 and N110,000.
“Prostate cancer is one of the leading killer diseases in men in Nigeria and the second cause of cancer deaths in men worldwide,” he said.
Omudu explained that Nigeria does not have a national budget specifically designated for prostate cancer treatment, unlike some Western countries, leaving patients to bear much of the cost.
He said a 10.8-milligram prostate cancer injection costs between N90,000 and N110,000 and is administered once every three months.
He added that a 3.6-milligram injection, administered monthly, costs N45,000, while accompanying medication costs N27,000 per dosage.
According to him, a retiree or pensioner living with prostate cancer could spend roughly N120,000 every month on treatment.
Omudu further disclosed that surgery to remove prostate cancer abroad costs about $10,000, while transportation, hospital and hotel expenses could push the total cost to about N7 million.
He, however, noted that a foundation in Nigeria had intervened by reducing the cost of laser surgery to N600,000.
The urologist said the disease could be prevented by consuming foods such as red tomatoes, green tea and seafood including periwinkles and snails, alongside regular exercise.
“Green tea contain anti-oxidant and anti-free radicals while the sea foods have magnesium, manganese, selenium and vitamin E and D which are nutrients for prevention of the disease,” he said.
Omudu added that efforts were being made to reduce the prevalence of the disease through increased awareness and the training of additional urologists to provide the needed expertise.
He advised officers and ratings to take preventive measures against the disease, particularly because of the physical demands of their profession.
Speaking during the event, Obi Egbuchulam, Commander of Nigeria Navy Ship Pathfinder, said the base organised the lecture to educate personnel about the dangers posed by prostate cancer.
He said some serving and retired naval officers and ratings were currently living with prostate cancer, which could affect their ability to provide optimal service to the country.
“I think it is our responsibility to educate and enlighten our personnel on dangers of prostate cancer, so that they can live a happy and healthy life serving and after retirement,” Egbuchulam said.
He added that some people develop the disease due to ignorance, noting that the lecture was held alongside free Prostate Specific Antigen screening to enable personnel to know their cancer status.
Egbuchulam assured that the exercise would be conducted regularly and urged personnel from other units and formations to undergo testing.
(NAN)
