And Why It’s So Important For Men To Speak Up About All Aspects Of Their Physical + Mental Health
It’s common to hear men share war stories about injuries; the broken noses, the knee replacements, the near misses. But when it comes to talking about what really matters in health, men can be a little too tight-lipped.
Dr Ono Alex-Ohunyon is looking to change that with the introduction of the Men’s Health Clinic at Walker Street General Practice in Bowral, which is all about encouraging men to be more proactive about their health.
Perhaps it’s a bit of stoicism, a touch of embarrassment or the thought of a procedure that makes you wince just thinking about it?
But, says Dr Ono, leaving that niggle too long or suffering in silence can have negative impacts on your health and quality of life – or worse.
We asked Dr Ono what to expect at a Men’s Health Clinic check-up, and – strap in – men’s health questions you’ve always wondered about, from prostate tests to foreskins to the frenulum [more on that later!] and found some super interesting answers.
Here’s our chat.
Why did you start the Men’s Health Clinic?
Studies show women pay better attention to their health than men.
Part of that is because many men grow up with the mindset to ‘man up’, don’t talk too much about anything uncomfortable to do with your health or pain or trauma, and just ‘get on with it’.
There are plenty of Women’s Health Clinics around and I think it’s important to provide similar healthcare opportunities to men.
The Men’s Health Clinic is there to open up the conversation about men’s medical issues and encourages men to not neglect their health.
Because as we see regularly, by the time we see a lot of men, the issue has gone too far or requires much more intensive treatment.
And men can kick off the process with a Well Men Check?
Yes. The Well Men Check allows us to check in with men based on their age group and risk category.
We look at all the main health indicators: weight, blood pressure, skin, bladder and bowel, prostate review, and more.
Starting with the Well Men Check is a bit more inviting to men who are a little bit hesitant to get off the fence and start talking about their health.
Men’s partners often give them a nudge to get more proactive.
Yes, we find that a lot of men come in because their partners have been – let’s say encouraging – them to make an appointment.
I think women are very big drivers for men coming to the Health Clinic. Men see their partners attend the Women’s Health Clinic to get a pap smear or mammogram or a regular check-up and start thinking about booking an appointment at the Men’s Health Clinic.
And regular check-ups are important, aren’t they?
There are many health issues we can address and treat effectively if we detect them early.
Let’s look at prostate cancer for example. It has a good prognosis if caught early and prostate checks are not what they used to be.
If men are concerned about having a traditional digital examination [and it’s understandable to be daunted by that], please know we’ve come a long way in the last few decades with the advent of MRI prostate for example, which is more accurate and less invasive. Urologists use this tool quite well.
Sometimes we’ll do an ultrasound of the prostate and/or a blood test.
We make the decisions on evaluation and treatment is based on the clinical information obtained in a consult.
Many men will be VERY relieved to hear that! Now, tell us about your Gentle Procedures Clinic.
Men’s health medical procedures is an area I’ve developed a real passion for and I feel the Southern Highlands has been under served in being able to access specific procedures that many of our counterparts in the city have readily available to them.
Let me give you an example. It’s very common for men to have issues with the frenulum and think it’s normal because they don’t talk about such things with other men, or know there are simple ways of managing this effectively.
The fren… what now?
The frenulum [more specifically genital frenulum] is an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis and is the most erogenous part of the human anatomy. It is atonishing how many men experience bleeding, pain from scarring or even premature ejaculation from a problem with this area.
Fixing this is really a simple procedure that makes the world of difference to their quality of life.
It is usually a straightforward and painless procedure done under local anaesthetic with very short recovery time.
So many men suffer in silence because they just don’t talk?
Yep – it’s way more common than you can imagine.
And more male adults are getting circumcised?
Well, it’s a bit of a polarising issue – there are plenty of adult males who get circumcised due to personal preferences or for religious, cultural or medical reasons.
Our role is provide them with the options. We are here to provide scientific data and local medical support without having to go to Sydney or Canberra for that.
In regards to scientific research, there was recently an up to date systematic review of the literature in the Journal of Men’s Health published in May this year that demonstrated immediate and lifetime benefits including protection against recurrent UTI, phimosis, various STI’s, penile cancer and also reduced risk of cervical cancer in females.
Of course these kinds of procedures are optional and we are happy to offer such options locally if men want to explore this for whatever reasons there may be.
Mental health is also a big part of what you do at the Men’s Health Clinic.
The mind and body are so well connected and I find a lot of men over the age of 50 just don’t want to talk about it; they don’t want to admit to feeling depressed or anxious or sad. They just ‘man up’ in that sense.
And that can be for younger men too but I find it’s more common in older males.
And the reality is that men feel emotions strongly too, but they often express it differently.
Sometimes they bottle it up and that’s one of the reasons men’s suicide rates are three times as high as women.
It appears women are better at seeking help quicker and while it’s becoming more acceptable to talk about mental health, many men still don’t want to ‘look weak’ or appear vulnerable.
In my experience, I find many men are happy to talk to you about their prostate, or their heart health, but not their mental health.
And you work hard as a GP to build that rapport so that men will open up and perhaps seek other services?
While we’re not psychologists, we understand our critical role in supporting men to talk about what is happening in their world and faciliate access to relevant services including psychologists if necessary.
Often I’ll see a patient multiple times for physical health issues and then once we’ve built that all-important trust, he’ll start to open up about his mental health.
Skin cancer is one of your areas of expertise and also included in the Well Men Check.
Yes, a skin cancer assessment is very much a part of men’s health.
That’s another thing that a man may brush off and think ‘that mole looks different….it’ll be okay.’ And then not come in and get it checked. Skin cancer is another disease where like prostate cancer if caught early, has a good prognosis.
We’ve seen a lot of young people diagnosed with skin cancer, surprisingly. I recently saw a 21-year-old with a squamous cell cancer in the back. That’s a pretty young age.
So, regardless of age, it’s very important to get your skin checked regularly. If anything looks unusual or different, get in touch with your GP asap.
So what would you say to a man [or his partner] who may be reading this.
You don’t have to suffer in silence. We’re here to help you live a healthy and positive life. Make an appointment today and then make regular check-ups part of your busy life.
Thanks Dr Ono! We’ve learnt loads today!
Run, don’t walk and book yourself or your partner in for an appointment at the Men’s Health Clinic at Walker Street General Practice in Bowral. It’s a safe, supportive and confidential space where you can ask all the questions you were too embarrassed to ask, and have a check-up for your own peace of mind.
Book an appointment online here or call 4861 3855.
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