What is BPH?

    Written by:
    Detrick Snyder, Mike Murray

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Marina Shkayeva
    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, which is located below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. It commonly affects older men; approximately 50% of men over age 50 show signs of this condition, and its prevalence increases with age.

    The prostate is a walnut-sized gland in the male reproductive system that sits just below the bladder and surrounds the upper part of the urethra (i.e., the tube that carries urine from the bladder) and makes fluid that is part of semen. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition in which the prostate gland is enlarged and not cancerous.[1] BPH commonly affects older men; it’s estimated that about 50% of men > 50 years of age have evidence of BPH, and the prevalence of BPH increases further with advancing age.[2]