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men’s health awareness month: why canadian men avoid going to the doctor and how we can help

roughly 65 per cent of men forgo seeing a healthcare provider for as long as possible, leaving their health to decline faster than it would otherwise.

by angelica bottaro

jun 14 2024
read time 7 minute read
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over half of men are reluctant to go to the doctors for fear of being vulnerable or embarrassed. getty images
if you have a man in your life who has put off going to the doctor because he’s “fine” and doesn’t need to see anyone for that ailment he’s been complaining about, you’re not alone.
roughly 65 per cent of men forgo seeing a healthcare provider for as long as possible, a startling statistic that paints a rather bleak picture of men seeing their health needs as less than essential.
dr. dean elterman, a urologic surgeon and associate professor with university health network (uhn), often works with men and their varying health needs and sees firsthand the challenges faced by men in the healthcare system, as well as those imposed on themselves, that keep them from proactively taking care of their physical and mental health.
“men’s health has its own unique needs and challenges,” he said, later continuing, “the ripple effect from having healthy members of society is important, and certainly men, we know, die earlier. men have more years of living in poor health, and they don’t go to see doctors. so, all this coupled together gives us an understanding and the need to address men’s health issues unique to them.”

identifying the causes

for many men, the lack of motivation to prioritize their health is driven by many factors. one of those is the fear of showing weakness and vulnerability in front of others because, for many, admitting they need to see a doctor is acknowledging that they are not as manly as they think.

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of course, seeing a doctor does not make a person any less of a “man.” however, the ideals of what it means to be a “man” and what is typically associated with being weaker or less than have been solidified in the generations of today’s society. and society’s expectations of men have held firm for a long time.
“societally, historically, men have been raised to have this persona that you need to emit strength and not vulnerability. maybe it goes back to the animal kingdom days,” said dr. elterman. “it’s this idea of machismo’s being like not showing vulnerability, not showing weakness.”
there is also a societal push from other men that perpetuates the invalid notion that to be a man, one must never act as though one needs help from anyone. to be a man means to do it yourself, through hell or high water.
from colleagues to friends to other professionals, it’s typically the same: as a man, you “walk it off” or avoid acknowledging it until it all resolves on its own.
“you watch professional sports, and players are playing injured. you don’t really talk a lot about taking sick days, whether you’re in a white-collar or a blue-collar job,” said dr. elterman. “it’s sort of just been this thing where you work through illness, you work through adversity. that’s just what men do.”
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another issue men face when putting off their own health is fear of what they might find. once they’re in the doctor’s chair, giving up all their personal information about what’s going on within their bodies or their minds, they may be subject to a whole collection of tests to check on what’s happening under the hood.
it’s kind of like leaving the check engine light on for as long as possible before visiting a mechanic because it’s easier, and maybe what’s going on in that engine is not something they’re ready to acknowledge.
research has also found that even when men do go to the doctor, they are less likely to be entirely honest about what’s going on with their health, with theories suggesting that fear of relying on others in a worst-case scenario plays a significant role.
“men are particularly hesitant because they’re worried that they’re going to get bad news, and they’re worried that if they open up themselves to questioning and intrusion, they’re either going to have to have tests that are done on them that are uncomfortable or embarrassing,” said dr. elterman. “probably more psychologically, they’re going to become vulnerable because they’re going to be given bad news. they’re worried for the worst, potentially.”

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breaking long-winded traditions regarding how men are “supposed” to act is challenging, even in today’s more progressive societal environment.

coping versus treating

men spend the better part of their lives working, just like most adults. the issue is that other groups tend to seek out help when and where they need it a lot sooner than others. men, especially those who have been raised with more traditional visions of what manliness is, were taught that stoicism is just a part of life. they don’t need help. they are the helpers.
however, when it comes to healthcare, stoicism has no place in the circle, especially if people want to avoid worse health outcomes in the long run. another rung in the broken ladder is the chosen coping mechanisms of many men that could make matters worse.
“the way you cope are in these really sort of maladaptive things. you take cigarette breaks. you have an alcoholic drink after work,” said dr. elterman. “you do all these things that aren’t really good for you, for your health. so, it’s this vicious cycle of working through adversity, having this outside armour.”
men may also use distraction as a form of coping to simply pretend the issue doesn’t exist in the first place. by doing so, they can continue living their lives without having to address any problems that make them feel as though they will not be able to take care of their families.

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according to research, surveyed men have even gone so far as to say that they would rather do tedious physical labour over going to the doctors, a revelation that shows just how reluctant men can be when it comes to their own health.
“there’s even been other sort of cute studies showing that three out of four men would prefer to do chores around the house than go see a doctor,” said dr. elterman.

changing the narrative

when men become ill and do not seek the help they need, they’re putting themselves at a greater risk of developing something worse. they are also risking the entire society that they live in because they make up 50 per cent of the demographic, and when half of the whole country is in poor health, it affects everyone.
“the downstream effects (of men being unhealthy) are tremendous,” said dr. elterman. “they are part of the economic engine of a country. they are part of communities, and when men become sick, there are far-reaching effects on their families and in their workplaces and in economies and beyond.”
while nothing happens overnight, the idea that men are too strong to see a doctor only perpetuates toxic masculinity. it also puts communities, families, and the entire country at risk when looking at it through a more widespread lens.

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men must understand that seeing healthcare providers at the first sign of disease or illness is the only way to prevent the worst from happening, even if it requires having difficult conversations sooner rather than later.
“preventive medicine and staying healthy has never been better understood and easier to do. the earlier you engage with the doctor in healthcare, the more likely you are to be able to avoid more serious harm, more serious disease before it gets too far down the road,” said dr. elterman. “you’re actually going to be saving yourself from a tougher time later if you were to develop a more severe form of the condition.”

how uhn plans to help

in the last century, it became common knowledge that different groups require different types of healthcare. that’s why there are children’s hospitals and women’s health centers. each demographic requires a personalized approach to care based on their unique needs and conditions.
while no one is “advocating for a men’s hospital to be opened,” it’s crucial to grasp the concept of personalized care for all. the uhn is hoping to be able to provide a safe haven of sorts for men who are reluctant to seek out care by developing health programs explicitly geared toward men.

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men’s health centres do exist, but they’re mainly used for specific health parameters, primarily prostate and sexual dysfunction. but men’s health doesn’t stop there, and it’s important to acknowledge that fact.
“i think we need to expand our concept of men’s health and men’s health clinics to include primary care prevention, intervention for lifestyle, like smoking cessation, weight loss, nutrition, men’s mental health is a huge issue,” said dr. elterman. “men are far more likely to complete suicide. they’re far more likely to have dangerous addictions or get injured (at their workplace or reckless car driving). so, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
the uhn aims to create a hub-type clinic that offers various services, such as in-clinic and virtual, to provide men with the opportunity to seek care on their terms, making it much easier to be proactive about their health. along with virtual and in-clinic services, the men’s health hub is designed to break down conventional blockages that keep men from seeking out healthcare when they need it most.
it’s all about making men feel more comfortable to let their walls down, regardless of their background, orientation, or how they identify.

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“june is men’s health month, and i think it’s a really great time to think about our own individual health … and think about what are the steps that we can take to improve our health because it’s beyond just us,” said dr. elterman.
“my health impacts my family, my children, my workplace colleagues, my patients. if i’m not healthy, i can’t take care of other people. so, i think we need to think about it beyond ourselves, and i think that’s a really interesting way of reimagining health.”

philanthropy through uhn foundation makes it possible for medical professionals such as dr. elterman to further their work in medical innovation and research, ultimately leading to advances in healthcare and new treatments for disease that will benefit patients around the world and change the status quo of healthcare.

angelica bottaro
angelica bottaro

angelica bottaro is the lead editor at healthing.ca, and has been content writing for over a decade, specializing in all things health. her goal as a health journalist is to bring awareness and information to people that they can use as an additional tool toward their own optimal health.

read more about the author

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