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medpundit |
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Sunday, June 09, 2002"Experts say many men view sickness as a vulnerability, the polar opposite of masculinity. "A physical problem changes a male's sense of self," says Pollack. Acknowledging a need to be protected alters a man's perception that he is the protector. Women, in contrast, are much more likely to see the doctor because this decision does not affect who they are. Being cared for is viewed as "feminine," so it feels more acceptable. Furthermore, a woman's yearly gynecologic visit may have trained her to understand the importance of preventive health care. Pollack suggests that physicians be sensitive to a male's need to feel strong and in control. The way a man feels after a visit with the doctor will often determine whether he will follow the advice his doctor gives. In the end, a doctor's attitude and approach is "a matter of life or death," says Pollack. But experts say one approach to the problem is to appeal to the male's sense of honor and duty by helping family members concerned about him. A wife may try telling her husband, for instance, that she and the kids "love and need him around," making him feel he's seeing a doctor in order to fulfill a familial responsibility." This has to have been written by a woman. I refuse to believe that some inherent sense of masculinity keeps men from seeking medical care. I can believe they might be too busy, or too fearful of a bad diagnosis, or just not as apt to seek preventative services as women, but I don't think it's because of their "masculinity." Let's face it, women go to the doctor more often because the medical profession has successfully conveyed to them the importance of coming in for pap smears once a year. As far as coming in for treatment of known medical problems, or symptoms of disease, they are no better than men. It's misguided to suggest that we need to treat men differently, to make certain assumptions about their behavior. It's nothing less than stereotyping. We would do much better to treat them as the individuals they are, and just ask them what's on their mind. posted by Sydney on 6/09/2002 11:50:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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