Turn your head and cough

One of the male members of my family has a painful and advanced case of psoriasis, but he refuses to see a doctor, in spite of the wide array of treatments that exist for his condition. When I asked my mother why, she simply responded, "He doesn't like doctors." I used to think men like him were wackos, but this month's edition of Men's Health put things into perspective for me.\nThe magazine's editor, David Zinczenko, and executive editor, Peter Moore, lost their fathers to heart disease a few years back. Since they had experienced a similar loss, one day they started chatting in the office about taking an extraordinary new test that could predict, with tremendous accuracy, a man's risk of having a heart attack.\nA year and a half after they had that conversation, neither one had gone for the test. After experiencing some chest pain, Moore finally decided to go to the doctor and discovered that 99 percent of one of his coronary arteries was blocked. This close call led Zinczenko to evaluate his situation and that of the men around him. \nHis conclusion: Perhaps the greatest health problem to men is complacency. \nWhy do so many men procrastinate when it comes to taking care of themselves? Why do they ignore their health problems? Certainly not all men are culpable of being this careless about their health, but for many, it's their own fault. Why do men consider it a sign of weakness just to go and consult a doctor? If what they fear is not a detriment to their manhood, why are so many men resistant?\nThese are hard questions to answer, but I think it's feasible to look at other areas of stereotypical male behavior. \nThe "do-it-yourself" man who never asks for directions might be a slightly comical example, but it's very true to life. The concept of autonomy that many men live by might increase self-esteem, but when it comes to health, there are certain things no man can do on his own. When David Zinczenko complained of complacency as a health problem, I would have added inaction. \nProstate cancer is a brilliant example of how this horrible mind-set among men is holding our sex back from its fullest potential. According to the AMC Cancer Research Center, "Virtually every man, if he lives long enough, will get prostate cancer." With so many men at risk for prostate cancer, it hasn't been until very recently that action has been taken. \nThink about Race for the Cure and how many breast cancer fund-raisers are organized every year; yet, when was the last time you heard of a 5k to cure prostate cancer? Sure they exist, but the response for advocacy and awareness for prostate cancer lags unnecessarily. There are currently 71 listings for breast cancer organizations on www.yahoo.com; prostate cancer, however, is represented by only 16 organizations. \nHow many men must die before the mentality of complacency and inaction changes? Some say "boys will be boys," but I say it's about time that boys become men. The power to genuinely change this situation lies in the hands of young men, such as the ones who attend this very University. Our efforts might gain us only a few more years to prove our mastery of directions, leaky pipes, grass cutting and circuit breakers. But we also can pass on a piece of advice to guys even younger than us -- you're no less of a man in asking for a little help in taking care of yourself.