Check your own boys for cancer
Men overwhelmed by health fears: Survey
More men need to grow a pair when it comes to going to the doctor in a timely fashion, a new study says.
A Forum Research poll finds men put off checkups and most don’t know they can check themselves for testicular cancer.
“Men are twice as likely as women to delay making a doctor’s appointment because they fear something is seriously wrong,” said Lorne Bozinoff, president of Forum Research. “And generally, men have fewer close friends on average than women, meaning they don’t have as many confidants with whom to share these fears.
“One thing this survey made clear is that more testicular cancer awareness among men is needed, because only a third say they can check themselves ... which is true.”
The poll was done with men’s health advocacy group the Movember Foundation, focusing on such issues as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and social connections.
“We encourage men to know their health risks and to take action for themselves when necessary. This research shows there’s still a way to go, but taking part in Movember is a great place to start looking after yourself, as well as those around you,” said Ken Aucoin, Canadian director of Movember Foundation.
“For instance, knowing it’s a good idea to proactively check yourself for testicular cancer can make all the difference in catching it early. We hope lots of men will sign up this Movember to raise funds and awareness for men’s health, and kick off being proactive about their health.”
The survey shows that only three in 10 males know they can check themselves for testicular cancer and only one in two have been checked for prostate cancer.
One in four men are too busy to make a doctor’s appointment over a health concern and wait at least two weeks to do so.
Fifteen percent of those in the survey said they delayed making an appointment for fear something was seriously wrong.
There is also the problem of lower-income and younger Canadians not being aware of a family history of prostate cancer putting them at greater risk.
The phone poll was done on Oct. 24 using 1,263 randomly selected men over age 16.
The survey is considered to be accurate plus or minus 3.1% 19 times out of 20.
For full results, go to forumresearch.com/polls.asp.