One in eight men under 35 have delayed seeking help for a symptom which turned out to be cancerous. So isn’t it time you saw your doctor?
WORDS ROB KEMP
It might be the waiting room, the magazines, the other people, the embarrassment factor or just the hassle of it all, but for many men the idea of going to see a GP is a completely alien concept. ‘The issue of men delaying or avoiding a visit to the doctor is still a challenge that health professionals face,’ says Dr Luke James, medical director, Bupa Global & UK Insurance. ‘Men will downplay an illness or avoid seeking help because they don’t want to – or feel they can’t – take time out from work, and this means that some men may not even be registered with a regular GP, putting an additional barrier in place.’ We can all joke about avoiding going to the doctor’s, but, worryingly, this trend could be putting men at risk of more serious illnesses.
LEAVING IT TOO LATE
‘A key area where we’re keen for men to come forward is mental ill-health,’ adds James. ‘We know from our research that more than one in three men have delayed or avoided seeking help for symptoms such as feeling depressed or anxious, and one in 10 think “mental health problems are a sign of weakness”.’
‘We’ve also seen that men are less likely to seek help for symptoms like a change in toilet habits, blood in stools or testicular lumps or pain. Although these symptoms could turn out to be nothing to worry about, they could indicate a more serious illness such as cancer.’
‘We also know that the embarrassment factor is at play when it comes to male attitudes to health,’ adds James. ‘But early diagnosis improves outcomes.’
TECH TO THE RESCUE
As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us, technology can make accessing healthcare easier than ever. There are now lots of ways to connect with health professionals, such as over the phone or through an app, or even simply by sending a photograph of your symptoms. ‘Pre-Covid around 80-90% of consultations were face-to-face,’ explains Dr Keith Hopcroft, a Basildon-based GP and author of Symptom Sorter (CRC Press, £29.99) ‘Now that has been completely reversed. At my practice it’s 80-90% now by phone.’
Hopcroft points out that men especially may benefit from greater engagement with their GP through remote consultations. ‘They’re more convenient, they reduce perceived or actual barriers to consulting, men can be less self-conscious about ‘wasting a doct
