A new study has revealed that nearly half of men ignore their own health symptoms, yet the vast majority will pester their friends to seek medical help. The research, conducted among 2,000 men, found that 92% would encourage a friend to visit a GP, with 40% having intervened when a friend refused to seek help. Of those, 22% said they had to step in multiple times. However, 47% admitted to postponing their own appointments for identical symptoms.
Delaying Medical Help
Only 14% of men seek help as soon as they notice symptoms, while 40% typically wait weeks before booking a GP appointment. More than half (52%) confessed they often wait until symptoms become impossible to ignore. Alarmingly, nearly a quarter (23%) of those who delayed seeking help later discovered the issue was serious.
Reasons for putting off appointments include hoping the problem would resolve on its own, feeling it wasn't serious enough, long waiting times (21%), being too busy (18%), and a belief that they should 'tough it out' (18%).
Campaign to Encourage Openness
The study was commissioned by Medichecks, a health test provider, which has partnered with former footballer and broadcaster Chris Kamara to encourage men to talk more about their health. The brand has taken over the Trent Navigation Inn in Nottingham with its 'Well Man Arms Bar', inviting men to gather for football while incorporating health conversations.
Chris Kamara said: 'Football fans can spend hours debating who's in the starting eleven, whether the manager got it right or who's coming in during the transfer window. But when it comes to their own health, a lot of blokes go completely quiet. What struck me from the research is that nearly every man would tell a mate to get checked out if something didn't seem right, but many won't take their own advice.'
Outdated Stereotypes
The findings also showed that 73% of men believe outdated masculine stereotypes, such as the expectation to stay stoic and suffer in silence, are to blame for many feeling unable to seek medical attention. However, attitudes are changing, with just 17% now saying they wouldn't speak to a friend or relative about health concerns.
Dr Natasha Fernando, medical director at Medichecks, said: 'One of the most striking findings is the disconnect between how men look after others and how they look after themselves. The issue often isn't a lack of awareness, it's the tendency to put our own health at the bottom of the priority list. Many serious health conditions, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, can develop silently with few obvious symptoms.'
