There are still many taboos that push men not to take care of their health. To convince them to enter medical practices, the French Urology Association is launching the first Men’s Health Month.
- Men go to the doctor less than women.
- To fight against the taboos that lead men not to consult, the French Urology Association is launching the 1st Men’s Health Month in November.
- In addition, a day dedicated to the general public is organized during the French urology congress which will be held from November 22 to 25 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
“Whether through their general practitioner or a gynecologist, women get into the habit from adolescence of consulting regularly to be monitored, men do not have this reflex”explained Professor Alexandre de la Taille, President of the French Urology Association (AFU) and Head of the Urology Department at Henri Mondor University Hospital – Créteil during a press conference organized on November 8, 2023.
Difficulty talking about their privacy, fears, cultural biases… THE Doctors notice that men tend to neglect their health. To fight against taboos and raise awareness of the problems they may encounter, theAFU launches the 1st Men’s Health Month in November.
Men’s health: “you must consult regularly”
The first message from urologists to members of the male gender in this 1st month of men’s health? Go to the doctor regularly. In fact, they consult much less than women.
A INSEE studypublished in 2022, showed that 88% of women had seen a general practitioner for less than a year in 2019, compared to 80% among men. The gap was even greater for specialists (53% vs. 42%). And this reluctance or lack of habit to see doctors is not without consequences.
“Urologists are faced with men who arrive too late with advanced illnesses or who are still poorly informed about the prevention of the pathologies they may encounter. The campaign, launched byAFUaims to lift taboos, free speech, inform and encourage men to enter the doors of medical practices.explains Pr Alexandre de la Taille.
Indeed, like prostate or testicular cancer, the chances of cure are greater if the pathologies are caught early. In addition, daring to consult for problems encountered under the covers can also save lives.
“Infertility like erectile dysfunctions are sentinel markers of other diseases, because they are linked to organic phenomena such as endocrine or vascular problems, tobacco, aging. It is not uncommon for our consultations to detect or prevent serious pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases”adds Dr. Charlotte Methorsturologist.
Men’s Health Month: taking stock of your risk factors is essential
“This Men’s Health Month, we really need men to understand that we don’t just go to the doctor when we’re sick, but also for prevention purposes”add the Pr Alexandre de la Taille. Taking stock of your risk factors and lifestyle with a doctor helps you avoid complications or even illness.
“For example, in the case of enlarged prostate – a benign but common pathology leading to urination problems – sometimes it is enough to apply emergency advicehealth and dietetics to improve their comfort such as better distributing their drinks throughout the day to avoid waking up at night, limiting drinks containing caffeine or theine, treating constipation or even re-evaluating the treatments taken”says Dr. Souhil Lebdaiurologist.
In addition to a communication campaign carried out in November raising awareness of various men’s health problems such as erection problems, testicular or prostate cancer or even urinary discomfort, theAFU has planned as part of this awareness month to open its 117th French Urology Congress to the general public during the day of November 23. During this event for patients and their companions, doctors and associations will provide an update on treatments, screening and prevention of male diseases.
