For some strange reason, men and women seem to have different reactions to the thought of going to see a doctor. Women typically want to go at the first sign of trouble, while men prefer to push it off as long as possible. Also, you may have noticed on your own trips to the doctor that the clinic waiting area is filled with many women who are all by themselves, whereas men usually have their wives along on such visits. Why are women perfectly capable of going to the doctor all by themselves, and men generally needing company, if men are the stronger sex?
Possible reasons that may be running through a wife’s head as to why her husband seems to postpone a doctor’s visit include the following: perhaps he doesn’t want to spend the money, or doesn’t have the time. But if you think about how much money you wind up spending if sickness is not prevented, you believe doctor’s consultation costs are actually minimal in comparison. Also, your husband likely spends countless hours in front of the TV, so a couple of hours at the doctor’s clinic should not be a problem.
Interestingly, experts have explored this phenomenon common among men, and have found the following as the main reasons why the male portion of the population are less inclined to get a checkup:
1. Men prefer to be ignorant instead of knowing what’s wrong and be worried to death about it. Yes, men may feel afraid, but they do not want other people to know what they’re feeling. As such they keep silent about it and pretend everything’s OK just so you don’t pester him to go to the doctor.
2. Secondly, they do not like having strangers touch them, especially on their private parts. This is why many men who are struggling with prostate cancer would rather suffer it quietly. Rectal exams are also awkward for them.
3 Men typically also do not like to feel any sort of weakness in any area, which is exactly what they feel when they realize the doctor is checking here and there for what’s wrong with them. Sickness is perceived to be a weakness, and their macho ego just would not allow them to admit it. This is why many men have gone through life without having seen a doctor, and then wind up dying from some serious illness which none of their family members were even aware of.
4. In addition to not wanting to feel any weakness, they also have concerns about how they can provide for their families if they should fall sick. Although today’s modern day welcomes dual-income households and the man no longer bears the full burden of household expenses, he still wants to feel in control. As such, getting sick seems to be an impossible option.
Now that you know the underlying factors why your man seems to be stubborn about going to the doctor, you can figure out ways to assure him and ease him of his fears. This will make the process go much easier, as you won’t be geared up for a battle every time you broach the subject of a doctor’s visit. Instead you can make him realize and feel that you are not against him, but that you are on his side and understand him completely. Unfortunately for him, he will eventually have to give in to you, but minus the added stress of you nagging him and possibly taunting him, he will be more likely to agree.
If possible, at an earlier time, you can convince him to go for routine checkups; when he is in perfect health, he is more likely to be willing to go with you. Of course, it might require some convincing, too, in terms of financial costs, as he most likely will argue that he feels perfectly fine and in no need of a checkup. But if you know him well, you will be able to convince him, and once you get a regular routine for doctor’s checkups, the doctor will be able to spot problems early on, giving you the assurance that your husband is well taken care of.
