Research shows men are more likely than women to avoid—or delay—necessary medical care, even when their symptoms disrupt their lives or become chronic. An online survey conducted by the Cleveland Clinic of 1,174 men 18 years or older, found that 72% of men would rather do household tasks, such as cleaning the bathroom or mowing the lawn, than see a doctor.
Whether the reason is fear, denial, mistrust of the healthcare system, downplaying symptoms, or misguided masculinity, the repercussions of avoiding medical care become riskier—even potentially deadly—as men age. While many averagely healthy men can get away with skipping the doctor early in adulthood, age-related chronic conditions become more common once they hit middle age. This is especially the case when it comes to the risk and prevalence of cardiovascular disease, which is the top killer of men in the U.S., and why it’s critical to take new and unexplained health symptoms seriously.
