Men: Don't Avoid Medical Help

For those men taking great delight in their "macho" image when it keeps them from seeking medical help, doctors warn there is a steep price. One expert in men's health says it could be up to five years of life.

Dr. Mike Kirby, who helps write professional guides for doctors and nurses, says men are often too "macho" to seek medical health. The result is the so-called "gender gap" -- that difference of about five years that women on average live longer than men.

In fact, says Dr. Kirby, "men are dying of embarrassment and ignorance." He points to surveys that show that 31 percent of men wait for a small health problem to turn into a big one before seeing a doctor.

One-third of all men over the age of 65 have symptoms of prostate trouble but have done nothing about seeking help, he says. The plain fact is, adds Dr. Kirby, that "men look after themselves much less well than do women."

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