Many men unaware of their health problems
Australia’s health system should concentrate more on the needs of men, because many of the male disease killers could be prevented, if doctors asked more questions and men were better educated about their health.
Early results of a University of Adelaide study show that the leading causes of men’s premature death – heart disease, lung cancer, vehicle accidents, and suicide – could be dramatically reduced if the health system was more gender specific.
The leader of the Florey Adelaide male Ageing Study, Professor Gary Wittert, said that Australian doctors should be re-educated to provide men with specific health care, with the most important move being to begin asking reluctant men about their health.
“When a guy goes to the doctor he goes for one problem, and they do not volunteer any additional information.
It strikes me as really odd that when you want to get a health care message out, you use the same strategy for men and women”.
Professor Wittert said that “health literacy” needed to be taught in schools so that men could examine themselves and know when it was time to seek help.
It was also important to have men friendly GP hours so that men did not ignore symptoms if they could not get help and advice immediately.
The study found that for men checked between 35 and 80 years of age 60% had hypertension ,but 29% were unaware, 47% had high cholesterol with 14% unaware, 18.5% had depression with 6% unaware, and 14% had diabetes with 4.4% unaware.
