Men’s Health – Often Ignored

June is Men’s Health Month and it’s a subject that sorely needs our attention. In the past we have certainly emphasized the pink ribbon’s reminder of the importance of women’s health, with good reason, and it’s certainly not the purpose of this blog to start a discussion on whether women’s or men’s health is more important. What is important is convincing the men in our lives that their health matters. It’s not a secret that men often ignore or at least procrastinate seeking care from healthcare professionals for both their physical and their mental health - and there’s been many discussions about why. Over the years, I’ve worked with different groups who have focused on men’s health, and I’ve found 8 major reasons why men don’t seek care. Each of these reasons have multiple sub points but I’ve taken the liberty of choosing what I think is the most important:

1.    Social conditioning: “Be tough, don’t complain,” handle problems yourself. This is one of the strongest predictors of delayed care.

2.    Fear of bad news: “What if I can’t work?”

3.    Discomfort with vulnerability: For some men, that level of vulnerability feels deeply uncomfortable.

4.    “I’m too busy” — or so it feels: Preventive care feels optional until something becomes urgent.

5.    Men experience fewer early symptoms: Men are less likely to notice gradual changes.

6.    Negative past experiences with health care: Feeling judged about weight, drinking, or lifestyle.

7.    Communication style differences: Women tend to discuss health with friends and family, men often don’t.

8.    Men underestimate risk: “It’s nothing serious.”

If we are honest with ourselves, I bet we all would admit that one or more of these reasons apply to us. I have to tell you, even though I have worked on many healthcare issues for almost 30 years, I have been guilty of ignoring aspects of my own care for longer than I wish to admit. One big reason I’ve done better in the last few years is the fact that I write this blog every week. One of the points that I’ve championed is that we are accountable for our own health. No doctor or other healthcare provider has that responsibility; it is ours and ours alone. It’s certainly been a case of, “physician, heal thy self,” I couldn’t in good conscience recommend being proactive in pursuing preventative and corrective healthcare and not do it myself.

There are some facts that highlight why we should pay attention to men’s health. The most important is that women live 5.3 years longer than men. This is caused by many reasons but there are some absolute biological facts that put men at a disadvantage. Women have two X chromosomes which give them a back-up copy in case one of them has genetic mutations. Men have an X and Y chromosome giving them no backup. Women have the hormone estrogen that helps protect a women’s heart, men have testosterone which is harmful to heart health. Finally, women have stronger immune systems than men. Add in the reasons that men avoid or postpone going to the doctor or pursuing preventive care and you have the reasons for their shortened lifespan.

There is another negative aspect of men dying early, the burden the women carry as the man’s caregiver and the negative financial impact that follows when she is widowed. I’ve talked in earlier blogs about the difference in lifespan and health span, which is defined as how long we live healthy. The burden of caring for someone who’s health span has ended and requires care until they die falls on the partner who lives longer, which is most often the women. It just makes sense to get the men in our lives to pay attention to their health.

So how do we get men to wake up and get concerned about their health? As men’s organizations wrestled with this question, it soon became evident that trying to talk with men and convincing them to pay attention to their health was not very effective. They found out it was much more effective to get the women in their life to convince the man to get serious about their health. This approach has proven successful.

A good first step is to convince men to get serious about taking preventative measures to keep themselves healthy. Here are 5 preventative tests that are recommended for men over 60.

1.    Colorectal Cancer Screening: Continue regular screening until at least age 75.

2.    Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Risk

3.    Diabetes Screening

4.    Prostate Cancer (PSA) Discussion: Talk with your doctor on what prostrate screening test is best for you.

5.    Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Ultrasound: One‑time screening recommended for men 65–75 who have ever smoked.

Finally, I can’t talk enough about keeping up with your vaccinations, especially those we need to repeat each year. These have shown to be true lifesavers.

I hope this month we take the time to talk to the men in our lives. That we find a way to convince them to pay attention to their health, not only for their sake but also for the sake of their loved ones.

Best, Thair