More than half of men under 40 haven’t had a testicular examination
The reluctance of men to discuss their health is preventing them from taking up potentially life-saving screening services for prostate and testicular cancers, a poll suggests.
The survey of 2,000 men by Nuffield Health found a quarter (25%) have a health concern they have not discussed with a GP.
Almost half (46%) said they would wait for a few weeks to see if their condition improved before visiting their GP. Almost a third said they never talk about their health concerns. More than one in five said they are uneasy or embarrassed to discuss their health. One in seven men said they hadn’t seen a GP in three years. According to Cancer Research UK six men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each day
Even though it is widely encouraged for men under the age of 40 to have regular testicular examinations, 55% of the men surveyed said they have never had one.
This was echoed for men over the age of 50, the age at which it is recommended to have prostate examinations, with 53% saying they have never had a prostate examination.
Dr Auldric Ratajczak, Nuffield Health’s deputy medical director for wellbeing said:
“Men are sometimes reluctant to mention their health worries as they think it will affect their masculinity, but prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK and over 2,200 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year. The fact that so many men in the UK are not having these examinations is very concerning,”
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 20-35. Yet the research showed many men under the age of 40 were not aware of the main symptoms. They can include a dull ache or sharp pain in the testicles; a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum; and a sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum.
Symptoms of prostate cancer include needing to urinate more frequently; needing to rush to the toilet; difficulty in starting to urinate; and having a weak urine flow.
Source: Health Insurance Magazine 23 Nov 2015
