Traditional gender roles identify men as strong and resilient leaders. While these attributes can certainly be positive, society also drives many men to strive for masculinity to a fault — particularly in the healthcare realm.
It’s well-documented that men are often reluctant to seek healthcare and mental health treatments. In a study of heterosexual men from predominantly traditional religions, researchers found that healthy participants under 64 were unlikely to get annual wellness exams and more likely to delay healthcare treatments when sick or in pain.
Societal norms tell men that vulnerability is for women, and these deeply ingrained ideas of masculinity have serious ramifications on men’s mental and physical health. Diagnoses become more difficult, serious ailments aren’t treated early, and men don’t receive the protection of preventative care. It’s not uncommon to see lower life expectancies in men.
However, masculinity must take a backseat to taking care of one’s body, which requires professional care, not just regular exercise and a healthy diet. We’ll explore how men’s attitude toward healthcare is rooted in toxic masculinity and why change must occur.
How Toxic Masculinity Affects Men’s Healthcare Journey
When men resist medical care, the reason behind their hesitancy is often rooted in toxic masculinity. This ideology calls for men to act perpetually tough, even in the face of distressing events and mental or physical pain. Since society has historically painted a picture of men as the opposite of weak, many men experience self-stigma when they struggle to align themselves with this image. Asking for help from medical professionals goes against the fabric of toxic masculinity.
Unfortunately, the healthcare sector has perpetuated toxic masculinity in many ways. Following the success of gynecology in the Victorian Era, a group of doctors attempted to pioneer andrology, a practice that would focus on male genitalia. However, since andrology specialists were usually seen as quacks and men were reluctant to receive care, the specialty never took off. Modern urology (among other medical fields) doesn’t offer men the same specialized care that women receive.
The existence of well-woman exams, without the existence of well-man exams, further perpetuates the idea that preventative healthcare is feminine and unfit for men.
While the healthcare industry has a lot of work to do to tackle gender stereotypes, societal change can start with mindset shifts in men. Men who view themselves as pillars of strength must recognize that no man can be a provider if they’re not in tip-top shape — and often, that means getting help from a professional.
Risk-Taking Behaviors Cause Ailments in Men
Between the ages of 15 to 35, during which intrasexual competition between males is at its peak, males are more likely to suffer from severe traumatic brain injuries than females due to risk-taking behaviors. While men don’t necessarily take more risks than women, they do take more physically dangerous risks — like driving without seatbelts, bungee jumping, or skiing on slopes above their skill level — and work in more physically dangerous jobs. This can lead to more injuries, though men may be prone to avoiding healthcare until their injuries are truly severe.
Even when taking risks that aren’t life-threatening, men tend to overestimate their outcomes more than women. This strong ego can contribute to men’s assumptions that they’ll be fine without regular doctor’s visits and proper self-care, which can actually lead to more ailments — for instance, tooth decay due to irregular dental cleanings and high cholesterol due to a poor diet.
Men must set aside their machismo for their own longevity. By being more realistic about their own physical abilities, men can actually better avoid unnecessary visits to the doctor’s office. And with regular preventative care, men can avoid high-cost or long-term care for serious health issues.
Toxic Masculinity Is a Mental Health Challenge
Men aren’t just prone to physical injuries. Toxic masculinity can simultaneously decrease men’s willingness to receive mental health services, while increasing their need for it over time. Self-stigma prevents many men from seeking help until it’s their last resort — often when they’ve gotten violent or are forced. Unfortunately, this plays a big role in the fact that men die by suicide nearly four times more than women.
Men must increasingly recognize that they’re not responsible for carrying emotional burdens on their own. With consistent mental health support, men can reduce their internalized shame and release their suppressed emotions — even if they’re not comfortable with doing so in public.
Advocating for Men’s Health Is Key
While men-centered care still isn’t widely available, regular checkups can still help men achieve better health. Regularly visiting a doctor can help any patient understand their body and differentiate between their healthy state and when they’re ill or injured. Plus, getting the screenings you need — like annual blood pressure checks for all male adults and annual rectal exams for men over 50 — can help you catch the signs of health issues before they occur or worsen.
However, once men are in the doctor’s office, they must avoid being passive participants in their health. Since men’s health still has a ways to go, men must practice advocating for their own health when they don’t feel that their providers are giving adequate care. For example, men often aren’t screened for ailments that are more common in women, like breast cancer, yeast infections, and varicose veins. In the case of varicose veins, a lack of treatment can eventually lead to extensive bleeding, ulcers, and blood clots.
Men must increasingly challenge themselves to not only receive care, but ask for it.
Men Aren’t Superhuman
While men may grow up under the masculine shadow of superheroes, no man is superhuman. Men are susceptible to just as many mental and physical health concerns as women, if not more. By tossing toxic masculinity to the side, men can comfortably receive preventative healthcare checks and receive immediate care when they need it.
While changes must occur in the professional side of the healthcare world too, a mindset shift among individual men is a solid step toward improved health and greater longevity.
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All mens fault? I had a female dr laugh and smirk when I asked about viagra, has a nurse tell me men with tattoos are “compensating” had a female clinic owner laugh in my face- got left completely naked in front of 6 females for a groin trim prep for angiogram- had a female anesthesiologist drop stack of papers books and laptop on my groin every one else in room was female- they laughed- a man who did any of this to a woman would be fired on the spot- I won’t deal with them again