Global survey provides insights into perceptions of men’s health

Sanofi today announced findings from one of the most comprehensive global surveys ever undertaken into the perceptions of men’s health, which reveals the overwhelming majority (87%) of men want to take charge of their health however they are not taking full advantage of all trusted sources of information and advice available to them. This debunks the myth that men often ignore their health and highlights potential opportunities to deliver more efficient and effective healthcare to men beyond their doctor.

“While it's great to see that so many men want to take charge of their health, these survey results reinforce that health services can still do a better job of engaging with men to make this happen. Whether it's online or via pharmacies or GPs, designing services to meet men's needs better means men will get help and advice earlier - and that can only be a good thing." said Martin Tod, Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum (MHF).

Commissioned by Sanofi in cooperation with Global Action on Men’s Health (GAMH) and the Men’s Health Network (MHN), the survey revealed that out of 925 UK men surveyed, 8 out of 10  (83%) claim to feel confident in identifying health problems when they arise and 83%  of men believed that there are medical conditions for which obtaining the appropriate medication should not require a visit to the doctor. Despite this, only 6% of people surveyed say they would most likely seek advice from a pharmacist as a first point of call and one in ten men (10%) claimed to have never purchased an over-the-counter medication to treat an illness.

The survey also explored men’s attitudes towards self-care. 83% of UK men surveyed feel satisfied that currently available health products address their health needs and 80% agree that over-the-counter (OTC) medication works well. Further to this, 87% of men surveyed believe that using OTC medication means less serious conditions can be dealt with at a pharmacy rather than the GP surgery and 70% of men who do seek health advice from their pharmacist are satisfied with the outcome.

“At Sanofi we see self-care as a simple but powerful tool to address global healthcare challenges. It transforms patients and consumers into caretakers of their own health, supporting healthy lifestyles and empowerment,” said Duncan Kettles, Head of Consumer Health Care, Sanofi UK and Ireland. “We hope that by shedding light on the unmet need in men’s health, there will be greater understanding of how men can be empowered to maintain their health and wellbeing, prevent acute and chronic disease, manage ailments and reduce the growing pressures on our healthcare systems.”

The survey also investigated whether men would feel comfortable visiting pharmacies for a range of health services and testing for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory conditions. 70% of male respondents said they would consider using such services, which are increasing available in pharmacies through the UK.

A summary of the top line findings can be viewed online at http://gamh.org/men4selfcare/ (this is a non-Sanofi site and Sanofi are not responsible for its content).

Key UK Findings

• 87% of men want to take charge of their health
• 83% of men claim to feel confident in identifying health problems when they arise
• 83% of men believe that there are medical conditions for which obtaining the appropriate
• medication should not require a visit to the doctor
• 6% of people  say they would most likely seek advice from a pharmacist as a first point of call
• 10% of men claim to have never purchased an OTC medication to treat an illness
• 83% of men feel satisfied that currently available health products address their health needs
• 80% of men agree that OTC medication works well
• 87% of men believe that using OTC medication means less serious conditions can be dealt with at a pharmacy rather than the GP surgery
• 70% of men who do seek health advice from their pharmacist are satisfied with the outcome
• 70% of men would consider using pharmacy services such as testing for diabetes, heart disease and respiratory conditions

Key Global Survey Findings

• 87% of men want to take charge of their health
• 83% of men are confident in managing their own health and feel like they know what to do when they have a health problem
• 55% of men agree there is plentiful information online to help them choose the right medication
• Almost half of all men cite visiting a doctor as their first response when faced with a health problem
• 80% of men believe that pharmacists can deal with non-serious and non-chronic health conditions