Key Takeaways
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Men are less likely to attend health checks, contributing to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and mental health issues.
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Many serious conditions show no early symptoms, making routine screening essential for early detection.
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Screening recommendations vary by age, from STI testing in younger men to NHS Health Checks from 40, bowel cancer screening from 55 and AAA screening at 65.
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Early screening helps men start treatment sooner, make lifestyle changes and reduce long term health risks.
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If symptoms or concerns appear at any time, men should contact their GP rather than waiting for the next scheduled screening.
The Importance of Regular Health Screening for Men
Think of your body like a car – it needs a regular MOT to make sure everything is working properly.
Although it’s essential for everyone to look after their health, men are less likely than women to attend their health checks or even visit the GP in general. If men aren’t going to health screenings or GP appointments, their health can suffer.
In this article, we’ll explore the importance of regular health check-ups, when you should attend one, and what you can expect during an appointment.
Do Men Have Worse Health Than Women?
Looking at the statistics, men are more likely to have worse health due to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers compared to women. Unfortunately, men are also more likely to die by suicide than women are.
On average, women live an extra 4 years than men – the life expectancy of a woman in the UK is 83 years, whilst for men it’s 79. But what’s the story behind these numbers?
The cause of this gap in health between men and women is complicated. Many factors are involved, including lifestyle factors (like smoking and alcohol), access to health services, health-seeking behaviours, and psychological factors.
Mental health and substance use
Although women are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition, men are much less likely to seek help in the form of psychological therapy (otherwise known as counselling or talk therapy).
Men are also more likely to use unhealthy behaviours to cope with their feelings, such as drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs, which can negatively affect their health.
Ideas of masculinity are often partly behind these decisions. Some men believe a man should be strong and not show emotion, which may get in the way of them asking for help from loved ones or healthcare professionals.
Barriers to accessing healthcare services
Although masculine values may hold some men back from seeking medical help, this isn’t the only barrier to men accessing health services.
Struggling to get time off work, inconvenient opening times, long waiting times, and even loss of earnings may also play a part.
Men also tend to have worse health literacy than women (the ability to access and use information to make decisions about their health). In fact, one study found men were twice as likely to have poor health literacy than women. This can mean men aren’t able to pick up signs that something is wrong, and are more likely to put serious symptoms down to just getting older.
Luckily, this is where health screening can help.
What Is Health Screening and Why Does It Matter?
Screening means testing people for health problems before they experience any symptoms. The aim is to diagnose any health issues early, giving you time to start treatment before there are any long-term health consequences.
Health screening is different to regular check-ups as they are done in healthy people rather than when you’ve noticed something is wrong. Some health conditions don’t have any symptoms until damage has already been done, which is why it’s so important to have regular health checks to pick these conditions up.
Not all health screens are for everyone, so let’s break down the different types of health screening men should have and at what age.
What Type of Health Screening Should I Have?
Your risk of different diseases changes as you grow older, so let’s get into the specifics of which health screening tests you should have when. The tests offered in your area may vary slightly depending on whether you live in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
If you have a new sexual partner
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can infect people of all ages, and an infection doesn’t always show itself. For example, 73.9% to 94.6% of men with chlamydia don’t experience any symptoms.
Untreated STIs can lead to long-term health consequences, including infertility, so it’s a good idea to get tested even if you don’t have any symptoms. That way, you’ll know whether you need treatment.
If you’re in a long-term relationship or just have sex with one person, it’s generally enough to be tested for STIs at the start of the relationship.
If you regularly change partners or are sexually active with several people, it’s a good idea to get tested every year and after every new partner (or every 3 months if you change sexual partners more frequently than this).
To get tested, you can visit a sexual health clinic or GUM clinic. Some areas of the UK allow you to order a home-testing kit on the NHS for free, but in other areas you may need to pay for a private home-testing kit if you want one. For more information on STI testing services in your area, visit the NHS sexual health services website.
If you’re over 40 years old
The NHS health check is a general health screening appointment that’s offered every 5 years for people aged 40-74 who do not have any underlying health conditions. People with a known health condition will be offered regular check-ups more frequently than this.
During the appointment, a healthcare professional will measure your:
- Blood pressure
- Weight, height, and waist circumference
- Blood cholesterol levels
- Blood sugar levels (in some cases)
They will also ask some questions about whether you drink alcohol, smoke, how much you exercise, your diet, and whether any illnesses run in your family.
With this information, they’ll be able to assess your risk of developing various health conditions, including a heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and kidney disease, over the next 10 years.
If your risk of one or more of these conditions is high, they’ll be able to advise you on what you can do to reduce your risk (including starting medication in some cases), and symptoms to look out for that require medical attention.
Your GP should contact you every 5 years to arrange your NHS health check, but if you haven’t heard anything it’s a good idea to speak to your GP surgery.
If you’re over 55 years old
Men and women aged 55-74 are invited for a bowel cancer screening programme every 2 years. The starting age will soon be lowered to 50.
For this screening test, a letter is sent with a collection pot automatically to your home. You should then place a sample of your stool (poo) inside the collection pot and send it off to the laboratory in the packaging enclosed in the letter.
Your sample will be tested for markers of bowel cancer. If they find any, you will be contacted and invited for further testing including a camera test. This can help to pick up bowel cancer at an early stage, making it easier to treat.
After you reach 74, you will no longer be routinely invited for screening every 2 years. However, you can still ask for regular screening if you’re older than 74 by calling the free bowel screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
The other screening programme you may wish to arrange if you’re 50 or over is the prostate cancer risk management screening programme. This is a voluntary programme, and it will not be offered to you automatically – you have to ask your GP for it if you want it.
It involves a blood test for a marker known as prostate specific antigen (PSA). If this marker is high, it may suggest prostate cancer. However, the test isn’t always reliable for picking up prostate cancer at an early stage, which is why it isn’t offered routinely.
If you’re thinking about asking your GP about prostate cancer screening, check out Cancer Research UK’s guide to prostate cancer screening.
If you’re over 65 years old
The NHS offers men aged 65 a single screening test for a health condition known as an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) – a bulge or swelling in the major artery in the stomach that can increase the risk of it bursting.
This screening test is only offered to men, as they are at higher risk. You should receive an invitation in the post when you’re 64-65 years old for an appointment and this screening test just happens once if your results are negative.
During the appointment, you’ll have an ultrasound scan of your stomach to see whether you have signs of an AAA. This involves lying on a bed, lifting your shirt so a gel can be applied, and a technician using an ultrasound probe to look at your stomach (like they would with a pregnant woman).
The test takes 10-15 minutes, and you will be contacted with the results. If you’re at high risk of an AAA, you will either be monitored regularly to see whether things are getting worse, or you will be referred to a specialist for more tests and possibly treatment.
If you have been diagnosed with a health condition
Having certain health conditions can put you at higher risk of developing other things. During your follow-up appointments, your doctor may decide to screen you for other health conditions.
For people with diabetes, everyone over 12 years old is automatically offered a special eye screen every 2 years (or more frequently if they found something wrong in a previous screening test). Your eyes are screened for a condition known as diabetic retinopathy where high blood sugar levels can damage the back of the eye.
The screening involves looking at the back of the eye and taking some pictures. This helps to pick up issues early so you can receive treatment and reduce the risk of your eyesight being affected.
Learn more about the process on the NHS diabetic retinopathy screening webpage.
The Benefits of Staying on Top of Screenings
Although many screening tests are offered automatically, it’s good to be aware of what to expect and when you should take these tests. That way, you can contact your GP to request them if needed.
Screening helps pick up on problems early, helping men to receive treatment and live longer, healthier lives. It can also help reduce health anxiety and give you some peace of mind around your health.
If you’re worried about any health symptoms in between health screenings, it’s always best to book an appointment with your GP to talk things through.