More and more young men in Australia are avoiding trips to the doctor, sparking concern over their health. Recent findings from the revealed that many young men, especially those aged 18-24, lack confidence in understanding their health. In fact, 15% of men in this age group feel unsure about their health literacy and knowledge, and over a third feel stigmatised when accessing health education.
As a result, an alarming 40% of young men find navigating health information confusing and overwhelming. These factors are contributing to the premature death of men. According to the Global Burden of Disease Network, 77 per cent of male deaths can be attributed to five risk factors, all of which are preventable.
This, paired with delays in help-seeking, can often lead to symptoms worsening and becoming more critical. I’m personally very guilty of this. I waited out so many injuries in my early 20s until they reached a peak of being too uncomfortable to live with or eventually went away.
Years ago, I powered through glandular fever to work through a three-hour shift at my hospitality job because I didn’t think it was serious enough to call in for a sick day. The reasons I didn’t go to a doctor immediately and waited over a week while symptoms got worse are similar to what was reported above. I didn’t feel confident in understanding my health, and it felt overwhelming to acknowledge that I needed help.
There’s also the big “gender stereotypes” in the room here. It’s emba.