Dr Alice Roberts, Senior Teaching Fellow at Bristol University’s Department of Anatomy, returns to television tonight for the second series of Don't Die Young, in which, through her presentation of the workings of the human body, she demonstrates how we can all be happier, healthier and live longer. To show how this is possible, she puts her own body through a series of tests and scans – including dropping it from the ceiling of the Birmingham Symphony Hall.
In tonight’s double bill, Dr Roberts gets to grips with the male and female reproductive organs. In the first programme she offers a guide to how the male anatomy works and offers practical advice about keeping healthy. Ten thousand men in the UK die from prostate cancer every year. Yet, if detected early enough, it is almost always curable.
Dr Roberts is joined by 30-year-old Birmingham-based events manager, Mark Smallman. Mark meets urologist Alan Doherty to discover how to self-examine for lumps and to see his own testes scanned on ultrasound. Mark watches Doherty carry out a pioneering operation on prostate cancer sufferer Ian Roberts, who has the cancer removed using keyhole surgery. Ian explains his symptoms and why it is important for men to have regular check-ups with their doctor.
In the second programme Dr Roberts continues her tour of reproductive systems – this time looking at the female sexual organs. She is joined by Rachel Macfarlane, a 24-year-old paralegal in Manchester, who would like to find out more about her body and her fertility. Using her trademark dissections of animal parts, drawings and props, Dr Roberts explains the workings of the female reproductive organs and demonstrates the journey of a female egg once it leaves the ovary. She also examines some new scientific research that suggests that women advertise their most fertile times to men without even realising it.
There is also advice on how to become ‘breast aware’, the importance of being protected from sexually transmitted infections and the value of smear tests for fighting cervical cancer.
Dr Roberts said: “The key to being healthy is simple: be as physically active as you can, eat healthily – plenty of fruit and veg – don't drink too much alcohol, try to give up smoking, if you do smoke, and don't get stressed! It's all easier said than done, I know, but I think we could all probably make some small changes that would make us significantly healthier and happier.”
The second series of the BBC Two programme Don’t Die Young begins tonight [Tuesday 29 July] at 8 pm with a double bill. You can watch the programme again on BBC IPlayer.