What is the Prostate?

The prostate is a small gland about the size and shape of a walnut. The prostate makes and stores a component of semen and is located under the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder. The prostate secretes fluid, which forms part of the semen in which sperm are transported.  During sexual activity and orgasm, the semen enters the urethra and passes along it through the penis to the outside. If the prostate grows too large, the flow of urine can be slowed or stopped. Women do not have a prostate.