During Men's Health week, which spans from 10th June - 16th June, men in Milton Keynes and surrounding areas have been urged to “share their stories”.
Earlier this year, His Majesty the King shared the news that he had been receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate. Within 24 hours, over 16,400 people had visited the NHS webpage on prostate enlargement, more than 10 times the number who had done so the previous day. The charity Prostate Cancer UK also saw almost double the number of visitors to its online risk checker.
Dr Ian Reckless, chief medical officer at Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, and Luton Integrated Care Board, said, “It’s not just our prostates that we need to talk about, but the King’s openness about his health shows the difference that honest sharing can make.
Not everyone will have the same impact as the King, but the best way to beat a taboo is to ignore it and talk about the subject anyway. One in five men die before reaching the age of 65. The agricultural and construction sectors are among the industries which see the worst men’s mental health. Reckless continues to say, “Suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 35, and four out of five suicides in England are in men”.
It is important to make sure that men can talk freely to friends and gamily about health, and any other issues which that may be concerning them. “Whatever's going on with your health, sharing it may well help you and, by putting a difficult topic on the agenda, it will certainly help others”, says Reckless
There are plenty of online resources to help you, or the men in your family, find answers to questions about men’s health, including nhs.uk, Mind and the Men’s Health Forum.
If you’re aged between 40 and 74 then you may be entitled to a free NHS Health Check. Visit the NHS website to learn more, including what to do if you haven’t been invited for yours yet.
