New research from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) could shed light on the reasons behind the poor state of men's health in Britain.
The RPSGB commissioned study, designed to discover how men's attitudes might affect their healthcare, revealed that 59% of men are reluctant to ask for help and only seek medical advice if they are 'very ill or in great pain'. This factor is compounded by their commitment to looking macho and could contribute towards reducing their life expectancy by up to five years*.
The research showed that almost two in five men (39%) believe that crying during films is not a manly trait, and one in six claimed that revealing a vulnerable side to their partner was a not an option for them. Under general circumstances, asking for help is considered not to be a macho characteristic, particularly when changing a tyre (33%), requiring directions (13%) or needing medical advice (7%). One in seventeen men (6%) revealed that they believe they will be considered 'soft' if seeking medical help and one in seven (14%) were afraid of what they might be told.
Despite men's life expectancy in comparison to women's improving over the last 20 years, the gap decreasing from 5.8 years to 4.3 years**, there is still a significant difference between the sexes. If men looked after themselves better and their life expectancy was as high as women's, it is estimated that 40,000 less men would die each year.
David Pruce, the RPSGB's Director of Policy, said:
"Men's health has been improving over the last 20 years and this is very much down to a change in habits - men are smoking less and paying much better attention to their diets. What we need now is a change in attitude. Men need to snap out of the 'big boys don't cry' mind-set and start taking health problems seriously.
"The statistics show that the greatest threat to a man's health is still himself! We really need to get men into the habit of getting themselves checked out by a health professional more regularly. Men are at much greater risk than women of developing chronic illnesses like heart and respiratory disease - partly due to not being diagnosed early enough.
"Men are often reluctant to visit their GP but visit a pharmacy quite regularly to pick up everyday essentials like aftershave, condoms and vitamins. While they are there, guys should speak to their pharmacist and ask them for advice or a health check - it's so easy. There is no need for an appointment and most have private consultation rooms for discreet assessments.
"The pharmacy is a great place to start. It's free and they will always refer people to a GP if necessary."
Men's health - the facts: