Are You Smart About Men’s Health?
Take this quiz—no matter your gender—to test your knowledge about common medical issues facing today’s men and health-promoting strategies
1. True or False: Most men fail to see their physician annually for preventive checkups.
True. According to a survey by the CDC, 22.6 percent of men have not seen their physician in the past year. And men are half as likely as women to go to the doctor over a 2-year period, despite the fact that prompt, pre-emptive care can be a major contributor toward good health and long life.
2. True or False: The most common cause of erectile dysfunction is a drop in testosterone.
False. Although hormone changes can interfere with erection, most cases of erectile dysfunction result from damage to the nerves, arteries, muscles and tissues of the penis caused by diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and heart disease. If you’re experiencing ED, start with a thorough medical examination by your doctor to rule out any other health problems.
3. True or False: Men are less likely than women to gain weight as they age.
False. Although women’s proportion of fat to body weight may change more drastically, all middle-aged people tend to accumulate extra pounds in their midsection as they lose high-calorie-burning muscle mass. A remedy that’s not rocket science: smaller food portions and regular exercise.
4. True or False: The HPV vaccine is beneficial for men and women.
True. The CDC recommends that males and females ages 11 to 26 receive the series of HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccinations. HPV can infect the genital areas of men and women. Some types of the virus can cause cervical cancer in women and other less common cancers—like cancers of the anus, penis, vagina and vulva. Other types of HPV can cause genital warts in men and women.
5. True or False: The chances of getting prostate cancer increase rapidly with age.
True. The chance of getting prostate cancer before age 40 is minimal, but it increases rapidly after age 50. Sixty percent of cases occur after age 65. Prostate cancer also occurs more often in African-American men than in men of other races.
6. True or False: Common symptoms of high blood pressure are nervousness, sweating and headaches.
False. In the United States, 34.1 percent of men 20 and over have high blood pressure, but they may not know it. This condition rarely shows up through external symptoms, and it can cause serious health problems if left undetected, including heart attack and stroke. The best way to know for sure that your blood pressure falls in a safe range is to have it measured regularly with a blood pressure cuff, preferably by a medical professional.
7. True or False: Working in a sedentary job may put my heart at risk.
True. The American Heart Association recently released a study showing that men who sit for long periods of the day (five hours or more) have a higher risk of heart failure—even if they exercise regularly. Make it a goal to limit sitting time to two to three hours at a time, separated by breaks of higher activity like a brisk lunchtime walk.
8. True or False: If a couple faces infertility, the problem most likely lies with the woman.
False. Both men and women can have health problems that lead to infertility. In fact, infertility cases are caused by the female partner one-third of the time, the male partner one-third of the time and both or unknown causes approximately one-third of the time. In all cases in which a couple cannot get pregnant after a year of trying, both the man and woman should have a physical examination to rule out possible causes.