It just might, however, save your life.  

   It seems that men's masculinity is wearing on their health, yet they keep "soldiering on." 

   According to the National Center for Health Statistics, men die an average of six years earlier than women.  The American Heart Association states that heart disease is the number one cause of death for men in the U.S.  Men are four times more likely to have a stroke caused by clogged arteries than woman are and men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women are, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

   A simple visit to the doctor can help detect high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tuberculosis, heart disease, lung, prostate, colon, and other cancers, and can help prevent disease down the road.  

   Many such conditions as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, loss of body and facial hair, weakened bones, increased body fat, and fatigue can all be symptoms of low testosterone, according to a study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.  Treatment warrants consideration by primary health care providers.  

   Your family doctor can keep your man safe from harmful dietary supplements.  The FDA recently warned against the use of illegal internet ED (erectile dysfunction) drugs, stating the deceptive nature of the product labeling in failing to disclose the presence of chemical ingredients and potential for adverse events.  Such products as Zimaxx, Libidus, Neophase, Nasutra, Vigor-25, Actra-Rx, and 4EVERON are not FDA-approved and may contain potentially harmful undeclared ingredients, according to MedWatch, the FDA's safety and information and adverse event reporting program.  There is no assurance that the ingredients are safe, effective, or pure.
 
     So why do men make 150 million fewer doctor's visits less each year than women?  Women start at puberty to "establish a lifelong pattern" of preventative health care through routine gynecological exams and Pap smears, states Dr. John W. Saultz, professor and chairman of family medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University.  Beginning at a young age, education at school gives more emphasis on female reproductive issues and seems to leave our male counterparts "to their own devices," Saultz says.
 
   According to the American Medical Association, men don't go to their doctor for reasons including fear, denial, embarrassment, and threats to their masculinity.  Maybe it is the same fear they have of asking for directions.  A sort of admittance of weakness, a submission, they would rather be invincible.  

                     

      Also, the typical "macho-man" persona is not catered to in the health-care industry.  Doctors' offices are subsequently being feminized with pretty floral wall paper, endearing elevator music, and soap operas on the provided TV screen.  Maybe we should re-think the waiting room's layout to host ESPN, Harley Davidson wallpaper, and heavy metal rock & roll coming from the ceiling speakers.

   These all-mighty men may agree to visit the doctor if their family requests it, though.  They will go if their lady love persuades them to care for themselves, and in turn, care for their families.  

   According to Dr. Patrick Newstatter of the Pratt Medical Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia: "a not uncommon source of motivation for these reluctant men is their wives.  It's not unusual to have some sheepish-looking guy in for his annual physical as a "honey do."

   Do you think these men have outgrown the lollipop as incentive to go to the doctor?