If you were to visit a medical facility, public or private
clinic, and see a man attending that clinic, you can almost certainly bet that
he is not there just for a medical checkup. You can be certain that he is there
because he has a problem which he can no longer live with, or his partner has
been able to drag him in for a checkup.
Traditionally men don’t seek health care. Men tend to
underuse primary health and general medical services despite their life styles
and their susceptibility to particular types of illnesses.
Women have always been more inclined to access medical care
than their male counterparts. Men appear to get most of their support for
health concerns from their female partners, little from their male friends. Even
male cancer helplines are used more by women, speaking on behalf of partners,
fathers or sons. The fact that more
women get skin cancer than men but more men die from it, indicates how late men
are going to doctors. Their pattern of seeking support tends to be indirect
rather than straightforward. (Click here to read: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Men%27s_health
Why don't men seek help? - It’s a Macho Thing!
There are important
influences that determine whether men seek medical help, among which are perceived
vulnerability, fear, and denial. They may look for help for specific problems
rather than for more general health concerns.
Personal barriers involved factors related to a man's
traditional social role characteristics: a sense of immunity and immortality;
difficulty relinquishing control; a belief that seeking help is unacceptable;
and believing men are not interested in prevention. Systematic barriers had to
do with time and access; having to state the reason for a visit; and the lack
of a male care providers at the primary health care facilities.
It is also recognized
that a greater number of women will make sure that they follow instructions
given by the healthcare practitioner.
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