He had always wanted to ask an andrologist but had never done so

Table 1 The main and most frequent questions of 1184 young Italian men n (%)

Sexuality and sexual activity	Masturbation	Is masturbation normal?
475 (40.2)	223 (46.9)	Can a frequent masturbation cause damage to the penis and/or to the body?
		Can masturbation be useful before a sexual intercourse?
		Can masturbation have negative effects on sports performance?
		Can masturbation reduce the risk of prostate cancer?
	Sexual intercourses	Which are the safest contraceptive methods?
	199 (41.9)	The oral sex cause oral cancer?
		Can anal sex be risky?
		What is the right age for the first sexual intercourse?
	Drugs for sex	Are there effective drugs to treat premature ejaculation?
	53 (11.2)	At what age can you use phosphodiesterase inhibitors?1
		Are there drugs to help penis growth?
		Are web products, to improve sexual performance, effective and safe?
Sexually transmitted diseases	HIV	Is HIV treatable?
242 (20.4)	95 (39.3)	Is a single sexual intercourse, with an HIV positive subject, enough to acquire the infection?
		Is HIV transmissible through masturbation?
		Why there is no cure for HIV?
	HPV	Is HPV a virus that can also affect men?
	79 (32.6)	How is HPV transmitted?
		Is it possible, and how, heal from HPV infection?
	Generic questions	Is the birth control pill effective against STD?
	68 (28.1)	Is sexual intercourse the only way of transmission of STD?
		What should you do in case of STD?
		Can those who have never had sexual intercourse have a STD?
Andrological health and fertility	Varicocele	How can I know if I have a varicocele?
216 (18.2)	91 (42.1)	Which are the effects of varicocele?
		Is always necessary to operate in case of varicocele?
		After the operation, may varicocele recur?
	Testicular tumours	Which are the symptoms of testicular cancer?
	80 (37.1)	Is it possible to prevent testicular cancer?
		Is it possible to heal from testicular cancer?
		Does testicular cancer always cause infertility?
	Generic questions	Does andropause exist? What age?
	45 (20.8)	Which are the consequences of testicular trauma?
		Is short frenulum dangerous?
		Can you return fertile after vasectomy?
Lifestyle	Can illicit drugs and alcohol interfere with sexual health?
142 (12)	Does physical activity improve andrological health?
	Is the use of androgens helpful or harmful to the andrological health?
Generic questions	Can virginity be established for a man?
109 (9.2)	Can web pornography cause addiction?
	Has the partner a role in sexual desire?
	To keep your cell phone in your pocket can damage fertility and or sexuality?
	How can an issue of sexual orientation be addressed?

¹Students did not know the active ingredient of these drugs and, in the questions, they used the most famous trade names. HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; STD: Sexually transmitted disease; HPV: Human papillomavirus virus.

Table 2 Answers to the most frequent questions of young Italian men

Sexuality and sexual activity	Yes, masturbation is normal
	Masturbation doesn’t cause damage to the penis and/or to the body
	There is no evidence that masturbation is useful before sexual intercourse
	There is no evidence that masturbation has negative effects on sports performance
	It has not been demonstrated that masturbation reduces the risk of prostate cancer
	The safest considered contraceptives are condoms, the contraceptive pill and intrauterine devices
	The risk of cancer caused by oral sex is related to the transmission of HPV
	Anal sex can be risky due to the transmission of STD
	There isn’t a “right age” for the first sexual intercourse because everyone reaches maturity at different ages
	There are effective drugs to treat premature ejaculation, but not all cases require drug treatment
	The clinic, not the age determine the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors
	Drugs are useful for the growth of the genitals only in the case of some diseases (e.g., certain hormone deficiencies)
	Is not safe, and often even effective, to rely on the web to improve sexual performance
Sexually transmitted diseases	HIV is treatable but not curable
	Even a single sexual intercourse, with an HIV positive subject, is enough to acquire the infection
	HIV is transmissible through masturbation only if the biological produced fluids come into contact with wounds
	The complexity of the virus causes the current treatment options to treat but not to heal from infection by HIV
	Yes, HPV can also affect men
	HPV is transmitted through all forms of sexual activity
	It is possible heal from HPV infection reducing risk factors (smoking, unprotected sex, low hygiene...)
	The birth control pill is absolutely not effective against STDs
	Sexual intercourse is not the only way of transmission of STD
	In case of STDs the first thing to do is consult a doctor as soon as possible
	STDs can also be present in people who have not had sex but have been in contact in other ways (e.g., transfusions with infected blood)
Andrological health and fertility	A varicocele can be diagnosed by clinical examination or ultrasound
	A varicocele may be asymptomatic, present with scrotal symptoms or pains, and in some cases worse spermatogenesis and testicular function
	It is not always necessary to operate in the presence of a varicocele
	In some cases, after operation, varicocele may recur
	Symptoms of testicular cancer: presence of a mass, change in size, change in texture, scrotal and/or inguinal pain, scrotal weight feeling
	It is necessary to prevent testicular cancer
	Yes, it is possible to heal from testicular cancer
	If early treated, testicular cancer not always cause infertility
	There is no well-defined andropause but fertility and sexual potency decrease with age
	Severe testicular trauma may have consequences on testicular function and fertility
	A short frenulum is not dangerous and it is easily solved
	Regaining fertility after vasectomy is sometimes possible but difficult
Lifestyle	It is well established that drugs and alcohol negatively interfere with sexual health
	Physical activity is necessary to maintain and improve andrological health
	If not necessary, the use of androgens is harmful to the andrological health
Generic questions	Male virginity can not be established
	Yes, web pornography can cause addiction
	Yes, also the partner plays a very important role in sexual desire
	To date there are conflicting data on the role of cell phone on fertility and or sexuality
	It is good to deal with issues relating to sexual orientation with trained and professional doctors and psychologists

HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; STD: Sexually transmitted disease; HPV: Human papillomavirus virus.