Men’s Health
Our Team at HMC can provide a range of men’s health services, including cancer screening, preventative medicine, screening and management of chronic disease and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Prostate cancer | There is significant debate about prostate cancer screening (testing people who are asymptomatic). This is because many prostate cancers are low risk and would never have caused harm to the man but testing for and treating these cancers can cause harm. Because of these issues, there is no government organised national screening program for prostate cancer. Australian guidelines support informed decision making about prostate cancer screening based on personal circumstances. Your GP will ask questions about your family history, past history and symptoms. The available screening test is a blood test called PSA. The reason PSA is controversial as a screening test is because: - PSA may be elevated by causes other than prostate cancer
- There is debate about what constitutes “normal” and “abnormal” PSA level when screening
- PSA does not discriminate between cancers that will and will not cause harm
Digital rectal exam is no longer recommended in addition to PSA testing for screening Remember, this information is for healthy men aged 50-69 years with no signs or symptoms of prostate disease and no close blood relative with prostate cancer. If you have a family history or any symptoms such as difficulty passing urine, or other concerns about your prostate you should speak to your GP asap. | Mental health in Men | On average, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives (beyond blue). Depression is a high risk factor for suicide. Men make up an average of six out of every eight suicides in Australia. Just like helping to manage other conditions such as diabetes, your GP can help you to effectively manage your mental health, giving you improvement in your quality of life. Your treatment plan will be developed using evidence based therapies and incorporating your own goals and preferences. For example, some men might feel they cannot commit to regular psychotherapy sessions due to time constraints. However, did you know there are online therapy options which can be just as effective as face to face sessions? | Cardiovascular disease in Men | This is certainly not just a male health issue, but the prevalence is higher among men. It is estimated that 1.2 million Australian adults aged 18 and over had 1 or more conditions related to heart or vascular disease, including stroke in 2017-2018 (aihw.gov.au). More than 1 in 4 deaths were due to CVD in 2018. Your GP will take a detailed history, perform an examination, and arrange investigations such as blood tests, stress test, calcium score, blood pressure monitor to assess your CVD risk and arrange appropriate management plan. They will provide you with education and support to help you manage your risk, for example adjusting your diet, quitting smoking, increasing your exercise. | |
