The Health Risks of "Manning Up"
Women are expected out outlive men by about two or three years. Why is that? While there may not be one single answer to that question, one of the many may have to do with the fact that men visit the doctor far less than women.
A study conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) revealed that among the 1,111 men surveyed, 92 percent stated that whenever they are sick, in pain, or concerned about their health, they wait at least a few days to see if they get better before seeking medical care or advice. Only 8 percent said they obtain care immediately. Twenty-nine percent reported they wait as long as possible before contacting a health care provider.
It's important to note that most of the men in the survey had medical insurance and were registered patients of a primary care physician.
Reasons
When asked why they were reluctant to visit the doctor, most men responded that they only did so when they were extremely sick. Others stated that they did not have the time, while some asserted that they were averse to taking medicine.
A remarkably high 80 percent of the survey participants rated their health as either good or excellent, though the results of the survey suggested otherwise. Perhaps one of the reasons for this disparity, aside from the disinclination to visit a doctor when feeling ill, is that men spent an average of 18 hours per week watching television but only 5 hours per week exercising.
How likely are you or the man in your life to visit your doctor when feeling ill?
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Oh goodness, my father waits as long as possible to go to the doctor. We say he goes about once every 10 years and it's not an exaggeration.
ReplyThere's also a greater cultural stigma against fat women. It's much more acceptable for a man to be over-weight.
ReplyMen going/not going to the doctor is not a cultural stigma. Yes, it is more of a stigma for women to be overweight than men, but this is not the right thread for that. Perhaps you should find something to occupy your mind.
Replyomg! I thought we were the only ones on earth to own that Easter Island tissue holder! :D It's so childish, but it makes us giggle all the time...
ReplyYeah... I've been guilty of this myself in my teens. Because as you know, I was tough shit. ;)
I think the key is having a good relationship with your doc. Once I got to know mine on a personal level, its much easier to approach em.
ReplyMy Health-hater Husband is the stubbornist. He refuses to have check ups (yes, he has health insurance). A few months back he had severe chest pains that lastest almost two hours. He was really worried but still wouldn't seek medical attention - said it was stress and shrugged it off.
ReplyMy husband never visits doctors....but neither do I really and we both have health insurance. He had a major brain haemmorhage (sorry can never spell that word) a few years back and was off all medication within 2 weeks and has never been back. Neither of us take any pills.
I found this article interesting for another reason though. Yes, women might go to the doctors less often but it raised two interesting questions for me:
1. Hubby who is a pharmacist, says that women don't buy more medication than men - it's about 50/50 (although women might be the ones to come into the pharmacy to pick it up)
2. Women naturally have a higher percentage body fat than men - so if fat is this massive health ogre that everything is blamed on doesn't it seem odd that women live longer?
ReplyYou can't be serious! Fat, as in that which a woman naturally has, is not the health ogre you seem to think it is. Excessive body fat is the problem. Women have more fat than men, but within a healthy range that fat is not going to hurt them, rather, will keep their bodies working efficiently.
ReplyI think there are a couple reasons for this.
First, men are usually taught to solve their own problems. Few want to be seen as complainers.
Second, women seem to have more issues requiring them to go to the doctor, so I think they build up the "doctor habit" more easily. A lot of men can easily coast through life well into their late 30's and barely have reason to see a doctor. Women, with their more complicated reproductive system, are more comfortable going to doctors because they have done so since an early age.
ReplyIt's just stupid macho pride. There is nothing intelligent or manly in ignoring one's health.
Replyno, Trent, a woman's "more complicated reproductive system" doesn't make her need to see the dr. denying women birth control unless they go see the dr. makes that happen.
ReplyMy understanding is that women are supposed to start getting pap smears in their teens. I do not know of any equivelant test for males at those ages. Prostate exams aren't recommended until about 40. I stand by my statement that women are more comfortable going to the doctor because they are encouraged to do so at a younger age.
ReplyI don't think it's so much that a woman's reproductive system is more complicated, but that it's more difficult to spot problems on your own (though admittedly, I don't know how easy it is for a man, either). But the birth control problem is legitimate, though I think most places in the US, you can go to a Planned Parenthood clinic (or equivalent) and get some form of birth control without going through your regular physician.
ReplyBeen turned down for birth control on the corner of 5th and Main lately? The birth control pill is a prescription strength medication as determined by the FDA, you know that agency we've put in charge of determining those things. You can't have people just giving out medications to whoever, wherever, and whenever. That's what doctors are for.
ReplyFurthermore, women are adviced to see physcians at a much younger age than men; and therefore, could very well be more accomstomed to it.
YumYucky, your husband and my husband might be related, lol. My husband doesn't even HAVE a primary care doctor and hasn't been in for a physical in probably more than 10 years. He did have to have a quick physical done for work, but they didn't really do much except make sure he was able to do his job adequately. I don't really even know why he refuses to go...part of it is that he doesn't get that preventative maintenance is the best kind. What's even more bizarre is that he absolutely has no problems with going to the dentist every 6 months and seeing the eye doctor every year for his eye exams.
I think he figures "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" for the most part...his dad is in his late 60's and is in great health, but his mom has a lot of hereditary diseases that I wish he'd get tested for. Plus, even though men may have a simpler reproductive system than women do, men do tend to have elevated cholesterol levels earlier in life than women do. My dad has had high cholesterol since he was in his late 20's and my grandpa (his dad) had his first heart attack at age 38, so I think it's very important for men to have their cholesterol checked often, even if they are at a normal weight.
ReplyI agree, it seems like men have heart issues earlier than women. Then men on my mother's side most had heart attaks in there late 30's to early 50's.
ReplyMy husband is in this category. Unless it is so critical that I can see it OR he gets hurt bad enough in a sports injury to require stitches, then he does not go.
I also thing my dad might have survived longer if he would have gone to the doctor when "things did not feel right". It had to be critical to go rather than better safe than sorry. Although his generation were taught to be "men & be strong".
I think though that a bigger problem is the affordability of health insurance. My husband is self-employed & insurance is NOT affordable. You can try & get the super high deductible stuff but it still costs alot per month & who is going to use it for regular check-ups if you have to get to $10,000 before it starts paying for you. It only helps if you are hospitalized & by then, it maybe too late.
ReplyWhile I would agree that men have a tendency to delay going to the doctor, I would contend that women have a tendency to go to the doctor too often. Jeez, one small thing and they run to the doc. There needs to be a happy medium for both sexes.
ReplyI don't think women visit the doctor too often :-)
ReplyNow if that's not an over-generalization, I'm not sure what is....
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