Why Many Men Don’t Get Annual Physicals, and 4 Reasons They Should

People have many reasons for not attending annual physicals, ranging from limited time for appointments to worrying about the cost. However, men are especially prone to avoiding regular checkups — far more so than women.

A recent Cleveland Clinic survey found that 44% of men don’t go for annual physicals, and many don’t even have a primary care provider. At Integrative Health DPC in Zionsville, Indiana, we hope to change this perspective and encourage men to come and see us.

The primary issues that prevent men from attending annual physicals are avoidance and outdated ideas about masculinity.

Avoidance: What I don’t know can’t hurt me

Avoidance is a feeling most of us experience at times, particularly when waiting for medical test results. The argument is simple: If you don’t have any evidence of a problem, you can pretend it doesn’t exist and carry on with life as normal.

The problem with this argument is that if something is wrong, it may only get worse the longer you leave it untreated. In the most serious situations, avoidance can be deadly.

Masculinity: I’m a man, so I must be invincible

For countless generations, men wanted to appear as strong, brave heroes for their families and communities. 

Despite living in more enlightened times, many men feel pressured to conform to this old ideal. They’re reluctant to consider that they could have health issues, seeing this as a weakness that “real” men would never suffer. 

A recent survey found that 65% of men believe their health is better than others, but simple math proves this is false. Nevertheless, the belief is ingrained in many men.

4 reasons why men should have annual physicals

There are far more than four reasons why men — and everyone else — should have annual physicals, but these are among the most compelling:

Getting ahead of problems

Annual physicals allow our Integrative Health DPC men’s health experts to detect problems before you know anything’s wrong. You undergo various screenings for diseases that we can treat successfully if we identify them early on.

Take colorectal cancer, for example. Screening is a straightforward process that identifies polyps (small growths) in your colon and rectum before they become cancerous. Removing these polyps prevents cancer from taking hold and causes minimal fuss and discomfort.

On the other hand, advanced colorectal cancer could require surgery, lengthy courses of chemotherapy and other debilitating treatments, and having to use a colostomy bag to pass waste. Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death, yet it’s nearly always preventable with routine screening.

Integrative Health DPC supports the CheckIt4Andretti Charitable Foundation, which promotes screenings to prevent and detect colorectal cancer early. The foundation funds high-risk, low-income patients, including those with limited or no insurance who can’t cover the screening costs.

Preventive medicine

During your annual physical, we assess your lifestyle so we can offer advice that improves general well-being. This might include recommending dietary changes, support with weight loss, smoking cessation, stress management tips, and other ways to better look after your mind and body.  

Cost, time, and other savings

If you receive treatment for a problem we find during your annual physical, you save considerable time and money and avoid inconvenience, emotional distress, and pain.

Peace of mind

You might be one of those men who really is healthier than most! If so, you’ll fly through your physical and feel confident about your future. But if anything is wrong, you can be assured that we’ll find it and treat it accordingly.

Don’t put off your annual physical any longer. Call our Integrative Health DPC team today to arrange your checkup, or request an appointment using our convenient online booking service.