A simple survey carried out recently among readers of The Star Online revealed that only 25% of women found it easy to get their men to go for a health screening.
The online survey, carried out in conjunction with the Fight For Your Man campaign by Janssen Malaysia, resolves to increase the number of men going for medical check-ups in the country by creating awareness, calling for preventive measures and encouraging each of us to play a key role in our men’s health.
The results suggested that men can be unaware or uncooperative about their personal well-being and the need for regular health screening. Only 18 % of respondents said that their men had undergone prostate cancer screening.
On the brighter side, men seemed to be more open to conversation about their health – 34 % of respondents said that their men shared their personal health concerns in depth with them, while 29% of the respondents said that their men shared personal health concerns, but with limited access to the details.
Also, while only 21 % of respondents said that they were well aware of prostate cancer and its impact on their family, 73 % of respondents were keen to know more about prostate cancer – generally signalling a positive flag for prostate cancer awareness.
The Fight For Your Man campaign calls for each of us to play our part by committing to protect the men we care about by empowering ourselves with knowledge of the disease, encouraging men to lead a healthy lifestyle and attending timely check-ups.
Looking back at the history of men’s role in the family as sole breadwinner, they were once defined by their strength, courage, and their financial contribution to the household. Any illness otherwise would be perceived as a weakness.
In modern times, this mentality still lingers among many men. Being concerned about health is often associated with feminine values, and as a result, men only start worrying about their health conditions when visible symptoms started to kick in. Most of the time, it is already too late.
The prostate screening for men is simple and can be done at most clinics. A blood sample will be drawn and tested for the level of prostate specific antigens, commonly referred to as PSA.
Prostate cancer can affect men as young as 40 years, and the risk increases with age. It is advisable, therefore, that men get tested annually from the age of 40 onwards, at their nearest clinic.
This article is brought to you in conjunction with the Fight For Your Man campaign by Janssen Malaysia.
