Local men urged to share their stories during Men’s Health Week

Men in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to “share their stories” during Men’s Health Week (10-16 June).

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 Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes 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.

“Most of us won’t have same impact as the King, but the best way to beat a taboo is to ignore it and to talk about the subject anyway.

“We know that one man in five dies before reaching the age of 65.  Suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 35, and four out of five suicides in England are in men; the agricultural and construction sectors are among the industries which see the worst men’s mental health.  We need to make sure that men can talk freely to friends and family about health and any other issues which are 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.”

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.