Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

How It Feels

Men may feel some discomfort or pain during a digital rectal examination (DRE). Your health professional must press firmly on the prostate to feel for problems. This pressure may make you feel the need to urinate. The examination may be painful if the prostate gland is swollen or irritated.

Most women do not find a DRE painful. You may feel some pressure or discomfort when your health professional presses on your belly to feel the internal organs.

People with hemorrhoids, breaks in the skin around the anus (called anal fissures), or other anal sores may find a DRE more painful than people without these problems.

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS	Last Updated: January 23, 2007
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Jerome B. Simon, MD, FRCPC, FACP - Gastroenterology
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