Like a lot of guys, Andy Serrels sees no reason to go to the doctor unless something’s wrong. And it has to be pretty serious.
“If I’m not broke, why fix me?” said Serrels, 36, of Chicago, a regional sales representative for Microsoft. “The last time I went to the doctor was about three years ago. I had a cough that I couldn’t get rid of. I tried all the stuff at the drugstore and it didn’t work.”
But before the visit was over, his doctor had a bit of advice. “My doctor told me I’m getting to the age where I should get an annual checkup, and I said, ‘Yeah, whatever.’ ” A majority of men have similar attitudes.
“Men take better care of their cars than they do their own bodies,” said Dr. Ken Goldberg, author of “How Men Can Live As Long As Women” and “When the Man You Love Won’t Take Care of His Health.”
“A lot of men have this attitude that they’re bulletproof,” said Goldberg. On average, women live five to seven years longer than men, although that gap can be narrowed, said Goldberg, director of the Men’s Health Institute in Dallas. Men can start improving their chances at longer life by taking charge of their health and seeing a doctor-in sickness and in health.
But the message is not getting through. A survey released last year by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based health-research foundation, found that an alarming number of men fail to get routine checkups. (Twenty-four percent had not been to a doctor in the last year, three times the figure for women.) The survey also showed that men don’t visit their doctor when they think something is wrong (only 18 percent go to a doctor as soon as possible) and don’t take preventive care (53 percent).
“Society’s demand that men be strong and stoic can be harmful to their health,” said the study’s author, David Sandman. “Men have a shorter life expectancy than women and suffer higher mortality rates from the leading causes of death. Strengthening men’s connections to the health-care system and sensitizing physicians to male health concerns could bring about improvements in men’s longevity and well-being.”
Mark Bouffard, 29, a media specialist with PR 21 in Chicago, exemplifies the stoic man willing to endure discomfort rather than see a doctor. Bouffard thought he broke his collarbone more than a year ago while playing rugby but never had it treated, figuring it would heal itself.
“If it doesn’t bother me, I won’t see a doctor,”
Bouffard said. “I avoid the doctor unless I absolutely have to go.”
He finally went to a doctor to have his collarbone examined and was instructed to schedule an X-ray. “That was about three months ago, and I still haven’t gone,” Bouffard said.
But going to the doctor to address immediate health problems is only part of the problem. Men need to make regular appointments for preventive care.
Goldberg said that 9 of the 10 leading causes of death among males (excluding homicide) are preventable with early detection and improved health habits such as quitting smoking, exercising and eating better, issues that a doctor can counsel patients about and encourage them to address.
In addition, most cancers can be stopped with early detection. Men who find out early they have colon cancer have a five-year survival rate of 93 percent. Early detection of prostate and testicular cancers can mean nearly a 100 percent rate of survival for the first five years. Failing to detect these cancers allows them to spread, making it more difficult to treat and more likely to result in death.
More than half the men in the Commonwealth Fund study said they had not had a physical exam or blood-cholesterol test in the last year, which can indicate whether they need to change their diet or take medication to prevent clogging of the arteries. Among men 50 and older, 60 percent had not been screened for colon cancer, and 41 percent had not been tested for prostate cancer.
So if going to the doctor could mean longer life, why aren’t men doing it?
Men say they’re often embarrassed to discuss their health concerns or don’t want to admit they need help if something hurts or bothers them, according to the study.
“A lot of men are socialized and learn through the media to project the image of the tough guy,” said Kim Dell’Angela, a clinical psychologist in behavioral medicine at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. “The idea of talking to someone about your pain or your physical vulnerabilities is very frightening. It’s not something men get a lot of practice in. Men don’t seek social support and information about health concerns in the same ways that women do.”
Women are more likely to develop relationships with doctors because of their need for reproductive health care during childbearing years. “Men do not have the same kind of experience as women in having relationships with doctors,” Dell’Angela said. “Women come to understand the kinds of questions to ask during an exam, how to talk to a health-care provider and how to monitor their own well-being.”
Men can learn from their wives or girlfriends.
“Women can play a role in modeling good doctor-going behavior for their men. A lot of women have talked to me about how frustrated they are with their partners because they recognize a problem, but the men aren’t willing to go to the doctor,” Dell’Angela said. “I encourage women to leave piles of information around, let their partner see them making appointments, talk about what happens during an exam and encourage them to come with.”
Dell’Angela said there is another good reason for men to pay attention to their health. “If they don’t take care of themselves, it affects the people they love.”
Improving the odds
In his book “How Men Can Live as Long as Women,” Dr. Ken Goldberg says men can improve their odds of living longer by taking charge of their health rather than waiting until they’re sick.
“A regular physical exam once a year is part of it, but you can’t have that be the end-all,” Goldberg said. “It’s also about better nutrition, practicing good health habits, getting exercise and being involved. Men need to develop a relationship with a doctor and engage in an on-going dialogue.”
Goldberg also offers the following advice:
– Ask your doctor questions. Don’t be afraid to discuss any subject, even if it seems embarrassing. Tell your doctor you want details.
– Get and give the whole story. Report all symptoms, major and minor, to your doctor. Be frank and honest.
– Keep a health file, including your own copies of your medical records, and look into your family’s medical history.
– Tell your doctor and loved ones how you feel. If you don’t tell your doctor when you’re in pain or don’t feel right, he won’t know to treat you. If you’re scared, say so. There’s no shame in it.
– Talk to other men about your health. Many doctors can put patients in touch with each other to discuss their experiences and common problems. Support groups also can help.
– Educate yourself. Organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association and other national health organizations offer reams of information through Web sites and pamphlets.
– Practice what you learn. Talk to your doctor about living healthy and do it. Be the master of your own fate.
— Kevin Davis
