There are several reasons why men don’t go to the doctor. These could include that they don’t feel they have the time, the money, the insurance, and there’s probably nothing wrong -- according to themselves.

In one survey men were asked why they don’t go to the doctor. The two most common reasons include that they only go to the doctor if they are extremely sick or they feel they are healthy and don’t need to go see a doctor.

The same survey results showed that 80% of men who have a spouse or significant other are influenced by them to go to the doctor.  28% of these men had been diagnosed with a serious condition. Although that number may seem somewhat low, that is still almost a third of men who did receive a diagnosis after probably thinking that nothing was wrong.

Marriage has major effects on whether a man will go see a doctor. Statistics from the CDC show that married men are more likely than single or co-habiting men to take part in a health care visit or preventative health services and screenings. Research has shown that this is because their spouse encouraged them to receive the care they need.

Men who are married and stay married live longer and are healthier than men who aren’t. Taking it a step further, a smart wife creates a healthy husband. Having an educated wife has shown to decrease a man’s risk for coronary artery disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, and produces a lower death rate.

Men usually need to feel they are masculine. Getting checked for a potential health problem doesn’t help this. Women can encourage men through their strengths like masculinity, control and responsibility so that they feel like going to the doctor is a manly thing to do. This may just help them live a few extra years in good health.

Although men have their reasons for not going to see a doctor, no reason is good enough. Nothing can really replace getting the expert advice from a doctor who can cater to your specific situation.

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