​The 10 Health Issues You Need to Worry About In Your 20s

Not many guys in their 20s are worried about “the big C.” But some forms of cancer are likely to show up during your third decade of life.

“Testicular cancer is the most common solid organ malignancy in younger men, and it often shows up during a man’s 20s,” says Dr. Mark Litwin, M.D., chair of urology at UCLA Medical Center.

Roughly 1 in 260 men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer at some point in his life, according to the American Cancer Society. But a regular self-exam—say, once a month—is a great way to catch the cancer early, Litwin says.

“Do the self-exam in the shower where it’s warm and your scrotum will hang loose, and use soap so your fingers will slide easily over your testicles,” he explains. “You’re looking for a hard mass growing out of the testicle itself, not a lump in the scrotum or in the tube system running into your testicles.”

Litwin says what you’re looking for usually feels like a “jagged rock, not something smooth.” Also, if you squeeze it, a cancerous mass tends not to hurt.

If you find something, don’t freak out. “The prognosis is typically excellent,” Litwin says. “As far as cancers go, it’s one of the best you can get.” But schedule an appointment with a urologist ASAP.

Testicular cancer isn’t the only big health concern for guys in their 20s. Here are nine more conditions that should be on your radar.

If you’re fooling around with different partners, you need to be wary of STIs, says Rob Danoff, D.O., director of family medicine at Philadelphia’s Aria Health System.

HPV is the most common STI, and one linked to several forms of cancer. But Dr. Danoff also mentions chlamydia and herpes as two STIs on the rise among younger men.

Important to keep in mind: Many STI’s don’t cause noticeable symptoms in dudes, Dr. Danoff says. But because they could lead to disease later in life, or hit your female partner much harder than you, the CDC recommends annual STI screening for sexually active men.

A type of skin “pre-cancer” called an actinic keratosis, or AK, is common among young men, Dr. Danoff says. “Especially for men who’ve used indoor tanning salons, skin cancer is a concern,” he adds.

AKs are small, scaly white bumps that often appear in little clusters—usually on your face or the parts of your body that get the most sun. If left untreated, they can turn into squamous cell carcinoma—a type of cancer that can cause permanent disfigurement.

Also, while less common, even very young men can be diagnosed with melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer, Dr. Danoff says.

You need to pay attention to skin moles and spots, especially if one seems to be changing, Epperly says.

If you notice a weird mark or mole—or if you have a history of using tanning beds—schedule a checkup with your doctor or a dermatologist, he says.

While older guys suffer erection problems thanks to heart or health problems, many young men run into ED caused by performance stress.

“Having sex with new partners can cause high anxiety,” says Tobias Köhler, M.D., chair of urology at Illinois’s Memorial Hospital says. “One bad night leads to a vicious cycle of fear that things won’t work the way they should, which releases adrenaline, which kills erections.”

A lot of young guys caught in this cycle turn to over-the-counter ED supplements, which are largely unregulated and can cause serious side effects that threaten your boner—as well as your heart.

Instead of playing OTC roulette, Köhler recommends speaking with your doctor about your issues. Your doc may be able to recommend some relaxation techniques—or prescribe a mild dose of a prescription ED drug—to help you regain your bedroom swagger, he says.

A lot of men who were able to get through high school and college with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may find the workplace and dating scene are taller hurdles.

“ADHD is underdiagnosed, and often shows up in men in their 20s who have trouble finding or keeping a job, or holding onto a relationship,” Dr. Danoff says.

If that sounds like you—or if you have other symptoms of adult ADHD like problems staying focused, sitting still, or remembering things—it’s time to talk with a therapist or mental health counselor about your issues.

More and more dudes are using anabolic steroids to get big, finds a 2017 study from Harvard Medical School.

Some men may not even realize they’re doing it. A lot of over-the-counter performance-enhancing supplements—especially stuff guys find and buy online—may contain unlabeled and illegal steroids, says Harrison Pope, M.D., first author of that Harvard study.

Dr. Pope says serious heart damage, premature death, and hormone dysregulation are just a few of the side effects of using steroids.

Add messed-up sperm to that list. “Steroids will shrink your sperm count to zero,” Dr. Köhler says.

CDC data shows a lot of the excess weight we pack on and carry through life hits our waistlines during our 20s.

“For single men especially, being on your own often means poor eating habits—fast food, takeout, the general picture of the single guy eating over the sink,” Twenge says. “That can lead to weight gain.”

Dr. Danoff agrees, and says many men who’ve always been on the heavy side may find their unhealthy eating habits lead to a diabetes diagnosis during their 20s.

If you’re overweight, and especially if you’re noticing symptoms of prediabetes—which include feeling thirsty or wiped out all the time, peeing a ton, or blurry vision—it’s time to talk with your doctor, Dr. Danoff says.

Rates of suicide and depression are rising among men in their 20s, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the drivers of mental health disorders, technology overuse could be playing a role, says Jean Twenge, Ph.D., a researcher at San Diego State University and author of Generation Me.

Twenge says spending all your free time with your nose buried in a phone or tablet could be preventing you from hanging with friends, exercising, or spending time outdoors—all of which help safeguard you from depression.

A soul-crushing gig may also be part of the problem.

“A satisfying job can keep us motivated, find meaning in life, and increase expectations about the future,” says Hui Zheng, Ph.D., an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

On the other hand, a job you hate can lead to sleeping problems, depression, and “overall worse mental health,” Zheng says.

The lesson: Spend less time dicking around on your phone, and more time living life—or making moves to secure a satisfying career. Think you might be suffering from depression? Here’s what to do.

If you notice yourself wheezing, coughing, or struggling to breathe whenever you try to exercise, don’t rule out asthma, Dr. Danoff says.

“A lot of kids go undiagnosed,” he explains. “But then they notice in their 20s that, when they’re trying to exercise or play sports with friends or colleagues, they can’t keep up.”

If that sounds like you, don’t ignore it.

There are plenty of asthma treatment options. And the alternative—passing on exercise—isn’t worth all the health harms of a sedentary lifestyle, Dr. Danoff says.

True, you’re probably not going to drop dead from a bum ticker at 25. But more and more research suggests the choices you make during your 20s play an outsize role in your risk for heart disease during middle-age.

A recent study from Northwestern University found guys in their 20s who adopted healthy diets and exercise routines—along with avoiding smoking and heavy alcohol use—significantly lowered their risks for heart disease later in life.

“Even people with a family history of heart problems were able to have a low cardiovascular disease risk profile if they started living a healthy lifestyle when they were young,” the study authors said in a press release.

If you think you can abuse your body now and make it up to your heart later, this research says otherwise.