Ask Dr. Mike: Why Is It So Hard to Get Men to Go to the Doctor?

Mike Cirigliano, aka Penn’s Dr. Mike, explains why men are so reluctant to go to the doctor.

Listen to the audio edition here:

When I saw the topic for this week’s Ask Dr. Mike, I knew I had to be the one to do the interview. You’ve been my primary care doc for the better part of two decades, so you know just how reluctant I am to come in for my annual. As a man, I’m not unusual in that sense, right?
Not at all. Women see a doctor about two times more than men do, and this is especially the case with younger men. You know – they feel healthy. They’re invincible! They’re tough! They can handle it! Plus, there’s historically been so much cultural stuff that men absorb from society like — well, you’re a guy, you know it — “There’s no crying in baseball. Suck it up.”

Why else might men avoid the doctor?
Sometimes, they feel uncomfortable with an opposite-sex physician. Like, “Boy, do I really need to tell her that my junk is not working?” Plus, people are busy, they’re working hard, so they’re like, “I have no time to see a doctor.”

If I psychoanalyze myself, I’d have to say I avoid doctor visits because I don’t want to hear bad news. This makes no sense, of course, because it’s better to find something bad today than two years from now.
Early is better! But, yes, a lot of studies show that guys are very, very afraid of the unknown. They’re afraid of what they might hear and just don’t want to hear it. That’s a problem, especially when it comes to something like colon cancer, which is now impacting more younger people than ever. The phenomenon is frightening. We now recommend that colon-cancer screening beginning at age 45 (it used to be 50). So you’ve got to get to the doctor for regular checkups, and you also have to tell us immediately if you’re having blood in the stools, for instance.

I would hope that somebody finding blood in their poop would call their doctor right away.
Well, you might think it’s just hemorrhoids — you know, that it’s nothing.

Many men are averse to the idea of a colonoscopy, as am I. For me, though, it’s not so much about “don’t touch my butt” as it is about the fear of being put under. So your office sent me a little kit where I could collect a stool sample at home and mail it to the lab. But is this test just as good as a colonoscopy?
It’s a very effective test. But it’s not for people at high risk for colon cancer — say, someone who has had adenomatous polyps, or a strong family history of the disease, or a genetic condition known as Lynch syndrome. This is not the test for them — they need a colonoscopy, which is the gold standard. And, to be honest with you, a little touch of propofol now and then will give you a nice sleep. [Laughs].

While on the subject of the butt, do a lot of men refuse the digital rectal exam?
Oh, yeah, absolutely. While there’s now some debate about whether it’s necessary, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s important. I do the exam for two reasons: to look for blood in the stool and, to feel for masses on the prostate.

And to all the guys out there, I can personally tell you that Dr. Mike uses more lube than anybody in the contiguous United States of America.
Surveys show I use more K.Y. than four out of five doctors.

I know we’re mainly talking to the guys here, but any words for their partners?
Nag your men — nagging is very important! (There’s a reason why, if you’re in a long-term relationship, you live longer — the nagging can save your life.). So tell him, “You’re snoring, and I can’t stand it! You might have sleep apnea!” Nag him until he goes to the doctor. Me, I try to take care of myself. I don’t want my wife spending my money with some young buck named Rico Suave. What, I keel over and they’re toasting me in Acapulco ? That pisses me the fuck off!