title: [The touched masculinity: a discussion about the digital rectal exam for prostate cancer prevention].
abstract: The present study aims at analyzing the meanings attributed to the digital rectal exam, seeking to problematize questions underlying the masculine discourse on the basis of aspects of the hegemonic masculinity model. Semi-structured interviews were held with 28 men in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in 2004. Among the main results is the idea that the digital rectal exam is something that violates an interdicted space, something that compromises the current understanding of masculinity, shall say, the digital rectal exam does not only affect the prostate, it also affects the masculinity, puts it to shame. We conclude that for understanding and problematizing the questions related to the prostate cancer prevention in special, and to the question of taking care of oneself from the masculine perspective in general, we need to consider the structural and symbolic aspects that underlie these questions.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ensino, Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22250-020. romeu@iff.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Romeu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Elaine Ferreira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Lúcia Emília Figueiredo de Sousa
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rebello
authors.forename: Fábio Carvalho
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: de Araújo
mesh_terms: D001828:Body Image; D051517:Digital Rectal Examination / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*