Stephen Fry challenges stigma around prostate cancer and gay men this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (EXCLUSIVE)

Stephen Fry has shared a heartwarming message for Attitude readers to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, drawing attention to the links between prostate cancer and gay men.

Following his own battle with prostate cancer, Fry has become an avid campaigner, having publicly revealed his diagnosis in February 2018 after undergoing surgery the month prior.

This March, he reflected on his personal experience with the disease, having had both his prostate and 11 lymph nodes removed. One issue in particular has driven Fry to speak out: the stigma surrounding the prostate and sexuality.

“It’s surprising how much stigma there is” – Stephen Fry on the association between gay men and prostate cancer

“As someone who had prostate cancer a few years ago, I’m very happy to talk about it because it’s surprising how much stigma there is,” said the actor.

“I think the reason for that is, well let’s face it, the prostate is sort of up there, contiguous with the genitalia in one way or another,” said Fry. “And it’s fairly well known that if you tickle the prostate, by the back door, you can cause instant ejaculation and enormous pleasure.”

The prostate, sometimes called the “P-spot” as opposed to the female “G-spot,” is essentially the male equivalent of a clitoris. A small gland tucked inside the pelvis between the penis and bladder, it can, as Fry explained, bring men all sorts of pleasure.

‘I think people imagine therefore that if they have prostate cancer maybe it’s connected to their sexuality” – Fry raising awareness this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

The A Friend of Dorothy star continued: “It’s sort of the sexual equipment, bodily equipment that queer people – men – use, and I think people imagine therefore that if they have prostate cancer maybe it’s connected to their sexuality and they don’t like to draw attention to it.”

“But the fact is prostate cancer has absolutely nothing to do with whatever you happen to play with or however you treat your bottom,” explained Fry. “It is entirely separate.”

According to Prostate Cancer UK, prostate cancer is not more common in gay or bisexual men, in men who have anal sex, or in any men who play with their “p-spot”.

Are gay men more prone to prostate cancer?

In simple terms, prostate cancer is no one’s fault. Nothing a person does can cause it, and there are no guaranteed ways to prevent it, though there are treatments to stop it from getting worse.

Prostate cancer occurs when cells in the prostate begin to grow out of control. As new cells multiply faster than the body can remove old dead ones, they build up and form a tumour.

Concluding attention to the stigma surrounding prostate cancer and gay men, Fry sympathetically said: “After all, it’s perhaps straight people who have to deal with the strange looks that ignorant people might give them because they have prostate cancer.”

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK

The actor is now living cancer-free and remains an active campaigner for prostate cancer awareness, having recovered from his early but aggressive diagnosis.

According to Cancer Research UK, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the country, accounting for 14% of all new cancer cases between 2017 and 2019, and is the most common cancer in men.

TW: In the UK, 12,300 deaths from prostate cancer were reported between 2022 and 2024. Together with lung, bowel, and breast cancers, these four cancers accounted for almost half of all cancer deaths.

To catch prostate cancer early and avoid the disease worsening, professionals advise men get checked regularly.

How to catch prostate cancer early?

* The PSA blood test
* Digital rectal examination (DRE)
* MRI scan
* Prostate biopsy

For more information on prostate cancer, please visit the official Prostate Cancer UK website or Cancer Research UK.