PHYSICIANS OFTEN bemoan how hard it is to get male patients thinking about the health of their colon, heart and prostate—and to then do something to avoid a health crisis later in life. Most young, healthy guys rarely stress out over ED (erectile dysfunction, for the uninitiated) or the Big C, and when it comes to medical matters, especially preventive medicine, men would rather avoid the topic than face a colonoscopy head—no, bottom—on.
According to a survey of 500 men by the Cleveland Clinic, way too many male patients have no idea when or how frequently to undergo routine lifesaving tests. This includes even the easy ones, like having your blood pressure taken or cholesterol checked. More than half didn’t know the recommended age to start routine heart disease screening. (For the record, the American Heart Association says a man should get his ticker checked beginning the third decade of life.)
For many, the problem is ignorance—if you don’t know what a urologist is, you’re unlikely to go see one. Nearly 20 percent of millennial men and about 7 percent of baby boomers have no clue what a urologist is.