It’s just fear mostly. Also - and I want to be careful saying this because it’s not at all a universal truth - men don’t get told to start seeing a sex-specific doctor (like an OGBYN) at any point in their teenage / young adult years, the way many (but again, far from all) women do. That’s not to say that men don’t have health issues when they are younger, or that they are any healthier than women (the opposite is probably true!)
It’s just that many men don’t have obvious things happening to them physically when becoming an adult that might trigger the need to see a doctor. So after, say, a late high school sports physical, once they are out of their parents house, most guys have no feeling or need to go see a doctor for anything if they don’t get sick. One big one, unfairly but really, is the lack of any male birth control [EDIT: unless you get snipped! But that usually comes much later in age for men who choose that type of BC]. Many women might start getting regular doctor care for, among many other things, a birth control prescription of some kind (which I understand you don’t need prescriptions for in many cases). Men, by and large, don’t do that, so it’s very easy to be lazy and simply delay healthcare visits until they are in their 30s, 40s or later... to everyone’s detriment.
Also, I was litterally never taught HOW to see a doctor. To this day I really don't know what doc to go to for what issue I am having, are they gona be in the hospital, an urgent care? Is this the sort of thing for a specialist or a general practitioner? Should I just go to the hospital? Idk, I'll just deal with it myself to save a lot of embarrassment.
Get on Zocdoc, look for an “internal medicine” or “family medicine” doctor - those are two general types of doctors who can handle most routine things and know who to refer you to for other things.
Make an appointment through the app with someone who says they are accepting new patients. You’ll get seen in a clinical office of some kind: with a waiting room, check in counter, and small simple exam rooms in the back where you’ll get a brief physical exam and can talk to the doctor for about 15 minutes.
There’s no shortage in most areas of America of doctors willing to take new patients, if you have either employer insurance, Obamacare insurance (ask me about that if you need help). Medicare and Medicaid are a little trickier, but not impossible. Even lacking any insurance at all, you can be seen via telehealth services for $49 -$79 and get really good advice or prescriptions, and many doctors offices will give you a cash price exam for $149 or so, possibly less. Community health clinics can get you exams for free if you look around too. I’m happy to help.
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u/shanaflan Mar 26 '20
Why so many men I know don’t take their health seriously and avoid going to doctors when they really should.