The answer to whether everyone has a prostate gland is no; this organ is typically present only in individuals assigned male at birth. The prostate is a small gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. Its existence and function are tied directly to biological sex development and specific hormonal environments.
Location, Size, and Function
The prostate gland is situated deep within the male pelvis, positioned beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. The urethra, which carries urine and semen out of the body, runs directly through the center of the gland. An adult prostate is typically the size of a walnut, generally weighing between 20 and 30 grams.
The primary role of the prostate is reproduction, specifically producing fluid that contributes to semen. The gland secretes a thin, milky fluid containing enzymes and citric acid. This fluid nourishes and transports the sperm, ensuring their viability after ejaculation.
Muscles within the prostate help forcefully propel the fluid and sperm into the urethra during ejaculation. Because the urethra passes through the center of the gland, any enlargement of the prostate, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can affect urinary function and cause symptoms as men age.
Development and Biological Presence
The presence of the prostate gland is a direct result of fetal development influenced by specific hormones. The gland arises from the urogenital sinus, an embryonic structure present in all developing fetuses. In males, this structure begins to differentiate under the influence of androgens.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the most potent androgen involved, driving the epithelial buds of the urogenital sinus to grow and branch, forming the prostate tissue. This process begins early in fetal life, typically around the ninth week of gestation. The consistent presence of androgens is required to induce the gland’s formation and differentiation.
Because functional prostate development depends on the high levels of androgens produced by the testes, the gland is found almost exclusively in biological males. The lack of this specific hormonal signaling in female fetuses prevents the urogenital sinus from developing into a prostate.
Female Paraurethral Glands and Comparison
While biological females do not have a prostate gland in the traditional anatomical sense, they possess biologically homologous structures. These are known as the female paraurethral glands, or Skene’s glands, located within the wall of the distal urethra. Homologous means they share a common origin in the embryonic urogenital sinus.
This shared developmental history is supported by the fact that the female glands contain proteins typically associated with prostatic tissue. Studies show that Skene’s glands can express Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) and Prostate-Specific Acid Phosphatase (PSAcPh), markers characteristic of the male prostate.
The paraurethral glands secrete mucus, which is thought to aid in lubrication. Although they are smaller than the male prostate, their shared embryonic origin and production of prostatic proteins have led some researchers to refer to them as the “female prostate.” This clarifies that while the large, seminal fluid-producing gland is sex-specific, the underlying tissue potential is present in both biological sexes.