Women visit a doctor more often than men. A commercial health insurance company came to this conclusion after evaluating the data of approximately 1.7 million insured people. Scientists believe that poor knowledge of medicine and neglect of health are the main reasons for infrequent visits to hospitals.
Why do men not seek help?
Last year, 94% of insured women went to the doctor. Only about 84% of men visited medical specialists. For women, health usually means well-being, and for men, greater productivity. They often go to the doctor only when they stop working.
It is estimated that women also used outpatient care more often. On average, they visited the hospital 12 times a year, while men visited 6 times.
The main reason is the reluctance to allocate additional time for examinations.
Many men seem to be more afraid of a bad diagnosis. Doctors believe that you should not go to the hospital for every minor symptom. However, regular preventive medical examinations can help prevent serious illness.
Across Russia, far fewer men have visited a doctor than women. According to insurance, only a few men in Russia used outpatient care in 2017.
One reason: men are less likely to engage in disease prevention than women
Prevention plays an important role in the health sector.
According to a recent survey, only 40% of men regularly use preventive care, compared with 67% of women.
Many cardiovascular diseases — arterial hypertension or a heart attack — can be avoided if prevented. It is important that men pay attention to symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, shortness of breath, or heart pain.
5 years before a heart attack, impotence most often occurs. Heart attacks often have psychological causes, as well as organic ones - high blood pressure or diabetes.
In addition to physical complaints, a stronger gender also neglects mental health.
Especially with mental illness, men go to the doctor much less often than women. About ¾ of annual suicides in Russia are committed by men.
Depression is a typical condition of a woman. Many men are not recognized for mental illness.
While women are discouraged by depression, in men this disease manifests itself in aggressive behavior and outbursts of anger. It is also typical that they indicate to the doctor more tangible physical symptoms - abdominal pain or problems with the heart and back.
Men do not know medicine well?
Boys could not answer questions about sexually transmitted diseases, vaccination options and human anatomy. This was reported by urologists from a Moscow hospital, who interviewed more than 450 high school students in grade 9. To fill the lack of knowledge, urologists recommend advising men and boys.
The questionnaire included six multiple-choice questions.
Doctors raised the following topics:
- sexually transmitted diseases (STDs);
- vaccinations against STDs;
- anatomy and body functions.
To assess the state of knowledge on the health of boys, doctors conducted a survey among children aged 14 to 15 years in 7 secondary schools. In boys, the rates were significantly worse than in girls. At least 71% of girls answer questions correctly. Only 41% of the boys were able to correctly answer the questions presented.
Almost 70% of students were able to name two different diseases transmitted by unprotected intercourse. The most common incorrect answers related to HIV and gonorrhea.
Even anatomical or functional questions were often answered incorrectly. Only about 37% of students knew that the testes could be stuck in the stomach during development.
On the male genital organs - the prostate gland, testicles or epidermis - only a few students could correctly indicate on the picture. To the question of female and male sex hormones, many did not give the correct answer. Only 30% of students knew about the consequences of diabetes and hypertension.
Educating students and adults about the effects of disease is an important public health measure. Insufficient knowledge is a common reason for ignoring health problems.
