By Carlena Knight
While many believe that men just do not pay enough attention to their health, one doctor is of the opinion that the stigma surrounding men’s health is much more complex.
Dr Adrian Rhudd, a consultant urologist at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, is of the opinion that the medical system itself has “failed men”.
He explained that while women’s healthcare is far more established, healthcare for men is fairly new, especially where urology is concerned.
Urology deals with diseases of the male and female urinary tract which includes kidneys, adrenal glands, ureters, bladder and urethra. It also deals with the male organs that are able to make babies – penis, testes, scrotum, prostate, etc.
Dr Rhudd said women from a young age have usually been encouraged to see a doctor regularly, while men have generally not.
“When women get pregnant, they get seen by obstetricians. Some women get pregnant by late teens to early 20s, and from that point they get in contact with the healthcare system.
“Pap smears are recommended from when you start having sex, so, from late teens to early 20s women have always been encouraged to start seeing doctors from early, while the system had absolutely no reason for a man to come and see a doctor up until recently, now that we are pushing this prostate cancer and the prostate screening, and that usually starts around age 40.
“Typically, men just think if I am not sick, if I don’t have a problem, then I don’t need to go to a doctor. So, I think that culture is what men are accustomed to,” Dr Rhudd explained.
Although that may be the case, Dr Rhudd said efforts are being made to shift that culture.
“We are trying to change that and one of those ways is wellness. Active interest in your health, getting check-ups, getting seen at least once a year to make sure that everything is okay.
“Do not wait until you are sick or have a problem to do a check-up, and I think we are making a big difference with that with regards to the men,” he said.
Another welcome avenue, he mentioned, is the yearly Lions Club’s prostate screening programme.
Dr Rhudd praised the initiative as he believes it has truly become a staple event for men in the country.
“The biggest thing that it does is raise awareness. It gets the men talking. It makes men think, look I have to care of myself and that is one of the big, big things that we are happy about,” Dr Rhudd added.
He went on to say that the hundreds of men who showed up for the most recent screening earlier this month helped other men to realise that “they are not alone in this venture” and that there is “nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about”.
This, he stated, aids in changing the narrative.
Dr Rhudd added that the rise in the number of female urologists worldwide helps to bring diversity and inclusivity into the field.
He admits that there are some men who are more comfortable dealing with a woman and this uptick in female urologists would assist in that.
There is presently one female urologist in the country out of the three urologists presently practicing.
Dr Rhudd encouraged activists to continue to raise awareness about men’s health to help change mind-sets.
He also had some words of advice to his fellow practitioners. He advised them to review the approach used for men when visiting their offices as it cannot be the same tack used for treating women or children patients.
“Doctors need to reevaluate the approach they use to treat men because the male patient is different from a female patient and a child.
“Back in the days you would think that people dealt with men roughly. If a man had pain, if a man asked too many questions, if a man is squeamish, you know, it’s like ‘oh stop, you are being a sissy, stop being so soft’ so that tended to be what men are aware of,” he said.
“We need to stop doing that and we need to treat men like men. Address the healthcare needs of men and I find as a urologist seeing a lot of men, I can say it’s very different the way you communicate, the way you reach out, the way you treat men is different how you treat women, children and even younger men,” he concluded.
Dr Rhudd was speaking on Monday on the Connecting with Dave Lester Payne show, hosted by Elesha George.