Men are notorious for delaying health checkups and presenting late to doctors when contracting illnesses. Many men put their health at risk by ignoring health check-ups. The reasons for not giving priority to health check-ups are many.

However, most of the reasons boil down to the need to maintain the image of masculinity. Traditionally, men are expected to be stoic, tough, able to withstand stress, able to take care of themselves and earn for the family. They are taught not to cry easily; minor cuts and scars are to be seen as badges of masculinity. Therefore, medical check-ups are certainly not on their agenda.

A check-up is traditionally viewed as something for kids and pregnant mothers. Hence, health check-ups are viewed by men as something feminine. Once a boy has grown up to become a teenager, clinic visits are important only when he is sick enough to call for help, and not even if there is only a minor ailment.

However, this trend is slowly changing after years of campaigns on the importance of health check-ups and healthy lifestyles by various authorities and non-governmental organisations. Now, more men are interested in going for health check-ups.

For example, men whose parents died of heart disease early in life have substantial risk of heart disease and therefore need earlier assessment of their cholesterol level; men who smoke and have diabetes may need cholesterol treatment at a lower threshold than men who don’t; men who have erectile dysfunction may have undiagnosed hypertension which needs intervention, and so on and so forth.

Hence, it is important for you to visit your doctor for a comprehensive health check-up and determine what tests are needed. (more…)

Here are some relevant facts about cervical cancer:

• Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer occurring in women, after breast cancer.
• Worldwide, every two minutes, a woman dies of cervical cancer.
• Globally, more than 270,000 deaths occur each year from cervical cancer.
• There are an estimated 500,000 reported cervical cancer cases each year, with more than 80% in developing countries.
• In Asia Pacific, an estimated 266,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year, with approximately 143,000 dying from the disease.
• In developing countries, only 41% of women will get the treatment they need to survive.
• Cervical cancer affects women in the prime of their lives, often while they are working and are still responsible for their children and wider family.

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among Malaysian females after breast and colorectal cancer. In 2006, cervical cancer accounted for 9.1% of all female cancers in Peninsula Malaysia .

Screening programmes using Pap smears are an important early detection tool, but normal Pap Smear do not detect all pre-cancerous lesions or cancer. Screening programmes can identify abnormal and pre-cancerous cells on the cervix; they do not prevent the cause of cervical cancer and abnormal cells, ie persistent infection with cancer-causing HPV types .

Excerpt: HPV and cervical cancer

There are 2 types of Pap Smear test in the market. Do take note that Pap Smear Thin Prep method should be used whenever possible for more accurate screening of cervix.