If it weren’t for women, the phrase health for men would never be used, some experts say simply because men don’t seek health care on their own. Statistics show women make approximately 75% of all healthcare appointments, decisions and purchases—for themselves and for others.

We’re out there getting Pap smears, mammograms, cholesterol screenings, skin cancer checks and bone density scans, and we’re also picking up the prescriptions, all in addition to our own annual well-woman check-up.

Marketers recognize this, and they pour billions of dollars into all kinds of reminders, like “buddy check” systems and “well-woman alerts” each year to promote our diligence.

But health for men is just not as well publicized, and men typically don’t seek care until their symptoms are overwhelming. In fact, men make only half as many healthcare provider visits for regular checkups and care as do women, according to the Men’s Health Network. Also, men have the tendency to define themselves by their work and the things they accomplish, making them more prone to stress and its effects, researchers say.

Just a few years back, the British Medical Journal chided men for being the ultimate “bad boys” when it comes to personal health. And rightly so, men had and still have the highest mortality rates for the 15 leading causes of death and a life expectancy that was then a full seven years shorter than women’s. (That gap is closing and is now five years.)

Their reluctance to curb bad behaviors by practicing safer sex, seeking preventive care, and abstaining from drug and alcohol abuse alarmed experts enough to ask “are men in danger of extinction?”

That men experience higher rates of midlife crisis and depression wasn’t lost on the researchers, who observed at the time of writing, “more than 30 wars and conflicts rage around the world, mostly created, maintained and aggravated by men.”

So how do you introduce the more gentle and nurturing concepts of self-care and health for men to the part of our population that seems testosterone-driven to destruction? That’s just one of the four major questions experts grappled with when they met in Australia last year to discuss the worldwide status of men’s health.

One conclusion? The future of men’s health, so it seems, does at times lie largely in the hands of the women who know and care for them—their lives may depend on it.

In many ways, promoting health for men isn’t so different from promoting women’s health: be active, maintain a healthy weight, get regular screening tests, don’t smoke, limit the amount of alcohol you drink, and stay connected to the ones you love.

And as men age, they face their own health risks. Men have unique needs when it comes to screening for cancers, cholesterol, diabetes and aortic aneurysm, to mention but a few.

Physical exams are essential. After age 30, a general rule for healthy men is a complete physical exam every three years and after age 40, every two years, unless a healthcare provider advises more frequent checkups.

Testicular cancer occurs most commonly in men ages 20 to 34. Just as women perform monthly breast self-exams, men should learn how to do a monthly testicular self-exam. This is best done after a warm bath or shower when the scrotum is most relaxed. Standing in front of a mirror, a man should look for any signs of swelling on the scrotum. (It’s normal for testicles to differ in size or hang differently.)

The man can then roll each testicle between his thumb and middle and index finger to check for lumps or abnormalities. It should feel like a hard-boiled egg without the shell—firm and smooth, and not hard.

What’s not normal is swelling or any lump or mass in either testicle. A man should see a healthcare provider if he finds a lump, if he notices fluid in the scrotum or if he has a dull ache in his lower back. Any pain or discomfort in the testicles or scrotum should also be reported, along with any tenderness or pain in his breasts. Although testicular cancer occurs in only about 1% of men, and it’s highly curable when detected and treated early, it’s the #1 cancer killer of men in their 20s and 30s.


Once men hit age 50, it’s time to begin screening for prostate and colon cancers. A digital rectal exam (DRE) is recommended, as well as measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Report any changes in urinary habits: problems in starting a stream, frequent urination or urinating at night.

After age 50, a man’s risk for colon cancer starts to increase. In screening for colon cancer, fecal occult blood screening using stool cards may be sufficient. Colonoscopy, which Katie Couric made famous but that most people still seem to fear, uses a camera to search for polyps.

Researchers are also starting to talk about a “male menopause” called “aging male syndrome.” After age 35, hormone levels in men, especially testosterone, start to decline, causing some—but not all—men to gain weight, lose interest in sex, experience moodiness or anger and have problems with sex and maintaining an erection. Muscle tone begins to diminish, and men may complain of memory problems.

If a man in your life seems to be experiencing some of these problems, ask him to have his testosterone levels tested; if they appear to be abnormal, seek out the counsel of an endocrinologist who can explore hormone changes more fully. Just as some women experience moodiness with peri-menopause and menopause, some men seem to need similar hormone assistance as they age.

About the Author: Gay L. Goss, PhD, RNC, WHNP, CNS, is a nurse practitioner in both men’s and women’s health in Southern California and a professor at California State University Dominguez Hills, Calif.