WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR THE TREATMENT OF ENLARGEDPROSTATE

Enlarged prostate also known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) is a common causeofLower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) such as frequent urination and difficulty in urinationamong others in ageing men. This study assessed the willingness to pay (WTP) for treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia among men in Urora community, Benin City. Adescriptivecross-sectional study was conducted among 500 adult males aged 18 years and above usingastructured questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into has two sections. SectionAcontained demographic data, while Section B contained symptom experience, three treatment options for managing enlarged prostate as well as the amounts respondents were willingtopay for each option ranging from ₦200 to ₦30,000 and their preferred choice of treatment. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and Graphpad Instat to obtain inferential statistics. The findings showed that the total average WTP values across all treatment options rangedbetween ₦10,000 and ₦11,000, with alpha blockers having the highest mean WTPvalueandbeing the most preferred treatment option. Factors such as income level, caring for a personwith BPH or prior awareness of the disease and symptom severity significantly influencedrespondents’ willingness to pay. This study showed that economic status and awareness playsmajor roles in determining WTP for BPH treatment and recommends public health educationand financial support mechanisms to improve access to BPH care in the community