Men need medical care just as much as women do, yet women are much more likely to make that trip to the doctor's office.
A recent survey found that almost 25 percent of the men hadn't seen a doctor in the past year, compared to fewer than 10 percent of the women, reports this article from DrKoop.com.
And that's not good for men's health, says the article. Men live an average of six years less than women, and many diseases can be prevented or treated with early detection. Some of the biggest problems men face are heart disease, cancer, high cholesterol and injuries.
"There's this whole notion that men treat their bodies like machines that don't need care," says Glenn Good, an assistant professor of education and counseling psychology at the University of Missouri in Columbia. "If they treated their bodies with half the care they treat their cars, they'd live longer."
Men avoid the doctor for a variety of reasons, including fear, embarrassment or denial. Men are also concerned about being seen as weak, says the article.
Fortunately, the tendency to avoid the doctor seems to lessen as men age, according to this article from USA TODAY.
