by Walid Gellad
I won a hundred bucks in Atlantic City last Friday. I went to the chip redemption window, and stood in line, smug with my deftness at blackjack, waiting for the old guy in front of me to cash in his chips. I had one 100 dollar chip, and the guy at the window had three. He was three times my age, so I figured I could still be proud of my accomplishment. Finally, the lady at the counter licked her fingers and snapped out (like they do at the casinos) fifteen 100 dollar bills, and the old guy waddled away smiling, leaning on his cane for support. So they were 500 dollar chips. I tell this story not really to show why men don't go to the doctor, but to show that medical students, despite their enormous loan debts, do have money and time to go out on dates - in case that's a reason why no women have asked me out recently.
Now for the issue at hand. If you're in your twenties or thirties and you can't remember your last physical, it's time for you to go. I know, you're afraid of the rectal exam you might need (although you probably won't until your 40s or 50s), or of revealing it all to your physician. I looked around the web for sites related to why men don't go to the doctor, and I found a site, nestled in a search engine results pages between the prostate cancer page (the main reason we all need rectal exams, eventually) and the Surgery for Men-Penile Enlargement-page for a Beverly Hills clinic. Despite that disappointing showing, the issue is real and it is significant, because many men, for a variety of reasons, do not go see a doctor when they need to. An American Medical Association study in 1990
found that men don't go to the doctor because of fear, denial, embarrassment, and threatened masculinity. Below are some common replies by men when asked why they don't go get a physical (from the men's health website mentioned below),and my replies:
I'd rather not find out if I have a disease.
W: Many diseases are most treatable when found in their earliest stages.You're really only doing yourself a disservice if you put off going to the doctor, or any place where they practice preventative medicine. Prevention saves lives, money, and time. Smokey the bear was right.
I don't want to have a colon or rectal exam.
W: And I do? Be a man. Women endure gynecological exams starting early. Ask any woman friend how horrifying their first gyn exam probably was, and then endure their ridicule.
People will think I'm weak.
W: See above. There's a difference between being smart and being weak. If you're in the middle of the desert on the way to Vegas and your foot's broken, yes, you'll have to endure, but when you're in midtown Manhattan, for instance, and there are doctors a-plenty, there's no excuse. If money is an issue, remember back to college and think about any of your friends who might have gone to medical or nursing school, and give them a call. And then invite them somewhere when you feel better.
I'm too embarrassed to discuss personal health problems.
W: See above. A good relationship with your health-care provider is important, so try to find someone you can feel comfortable with.
Go get a physical. Aside from the preventative physical, if you have any of the following symptoms, I strongly suggest you contact your nearest M.D., because these are symptoms you shouldn't put off:
- Blood in stool, urine or semen
- Sores that don't heal
- Persistent cough
- Change in bowel (poop) or urination patterns Chest pain
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
Those of you still with me, email us, and let us know why you've ever delayed going to the doctor when you should have gone. Send it anonymously. It will take you two minutes. And in a subsequent month, after telling you about my weekend adventure, I'll report on the results, and you can see how common this issue is for men.If there are men out there looking for more answers, check out the site where I got some of my info:
http://www.optumcareforyou.com/takingcare/mh.may97/menshealth.html.
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