June is the month in New Zealand specifically dedicated to try and get all males, both men and boys to be aware of their health…Mental and Physical.
Health issues can be a little difficult to talk about…especially for men…but having a month with the slogan #MenStartTalking popping up everywhere you look, might make it a little easier to approach the subject.
It's a fact that women are 100% more likely to visit a doctor's office than men. Even though the risk for men suffering from Heart Disease, Cancer or a Stroke are significantly higher than women! This doesn't make any sense does it? Maybe this doesn't apply to all men, but the ones that are hesitant should remember that doctors are trained to deal with all kinds of queries even if they may seem a little embarrassing…trust me your doctor isn't going to be embarrassed about it. So if you have or know a man who has a rash, a lump or a problem in the bathroom then don't be afraid to get it checked out before it may be too late.
Here's a link to the 'Men's Health Checker' where all you need to enter is your age to get tips on what to ask your Doctor. Did you know that men in their 30's should do a skin self-exam every 1-2 months?
There's a great article out this week where an emergency room doctor opens up about the amount of men he sees coming in with what could be preventable diseases if only they had spoken about their problem and sought treatment sooner. Click here to have a read.
So ask the males in your life (and this also means men asking other men) 'how is he doing'? You can register your Workplace to participate in Men's Health Month activities at the #MenStartTalking page. Let's do everything we can to get men talking!