Men's Health - What Does That Actually Mean?

Men often neglect their health for various reasons. Medical prevention and doctor visits are often considered unmanly by men, and the notion that strength and invulnerability are masculine is still firmly entrenched in the mind. To live up to their male role, they view their bodies as a means to an end and often take higher risks. Mental illnesses occur in men just as often as in women, but they often go unnoticed. Serious illnesses are also often only recognixed in later stages. Additionally, men have a five times higher risk of experiencing a heart attack than women.

Men’s health not only refers to urological matters but goes much further. It also includes other medical aspects such as the cardiovascular system, diabetes, nutritional medicine, and psychiatric disorders. The socio-cultural component also plays an important role by considering how men are perceived in society and what expectations are placed on them.

Even today, there is often a tendency for men to downplay the role of health in their lives. Medical prevention and doctor visits are often seen as unmanly and are avoided as much as possible. Men tend to see their bodies as a means to an end and take higher risks to fulfill their role of masculinity. This leads to serious illnesses being often recognixed only in advanced stages. Furthermore, men often exhibit violent and self-destructive behavior: alcohol and drug consumption are more common in men than in women.

A taboo topic is discussing weaknesses, especially in connection with sexuality and erectile dysfunctions. Mental illnesses such as depression and social exhaustion are also tabooed, which is particularly dangerous because men often suffer from undiagnosed depression. Either they don’t seek medical help at all, or they attribute other illnesses that may be related to depression (such as burnout).

Urological diseases are just one part of the whole

Urological diseases such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, or testosterone deficiency syndrome are not discussed in men’s circles. However, it is crucial because timely prevention can avoid health damage. Visit your general practitioner regularly to have blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other important parameters checked.