Half of all men will experience the little known disease prostatitis at least once in their lifetime, affecting as many male patients as prostate cancer, experts claim.

This complex disease of the prostate causes gradual pain in the lower back, genital area and thighs and is often missed diagnosed by doctors, receiving significantly less attention than prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

In addition to causing ongoing pain and discomfort, the condition can damage sperm contributing to infertility and may even heighten risk of prostate cancer.

As part of this year's National Men's Health Week in the UK, experts have called on the government to raise awareness and encourage funding for the debilitating disease, as well as calling upon urology specialists from around the world to discuss a way forward in treating prostatitis.

Professor Roger Kirby, chairman of Prostate UK and director of the Prostate Centre in London, explained: "Of all the prostate diseases, this is the one about which we know the least. The causes are obscure and the treatment difficult.

"But the effects on the patient can be very debilitating, with a significant impact on his ability to work, quality of life, emotional well-being and sexual relationships. The pain and despair can trigger anxiety and depression among sufferers. Tragically, some have even been known to take their own lives."

He highlighted that ten per cent of prostatitis cases, triggered by a bacterial infection, can be treated if caught early. However, the outlook is less positive for the 90 per cent diagnosed with chronic prostatitis, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome, hence the need for new government guidelines and research.

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