For me, men’s health is incredibly important because I’m married to my husband and we have two young sons. So needless to say, men’s health will always be a priority in my household. And it should be in yours too! When was the last time you had a conversation about your husband’s health, particularly the last time he did a testicular self exam? My husband and I actually talked about it this month. It’s thanks to Justin Birckbichler of A Ballsy Sense of Tumor that men’s health is a topic for Homegrown Houston. Here’s why it should be a topic with the men in your life:
Justin spearheaded a men’s health testicular exam research study asking men:
“Do Testicular Exams Happen at Your Annual Physical?”
About 51 percent of men said their doctor physically examined their testicles, while 42 percent said they did not have an exam done, and seven percent could not remember.
While those figures are dismal, responses to the next two survey questions get worse. 78 percent of men reported that their doctor did not teach them how to do a testicular self-exam, and six percent said that they didn’t remember, which is effectively a no in my book. Similarly, only 11 percent said their doctor told them how frequently to do a self-exam.
Read the rest of his Testicular Exam Research Study here.
How to advocate for testicular exams and testicular health as a patient
While it is important to note that this study was not reviewed by an IRB and should not be considered a formal research study*, I do still feel this data is important. The vast majority of men are not educated about testicular health during their yearly exams.
A self exam is how most cases of testicular cancer are detected early. Click the image for video directions or click here for a larger version
Here’s what I ask you to do:
Share this. Share this blog post on social media. Share it with your husband. Ask him to share it. Start talking about men’s health. As Justin put it:
Be sure to tell your friends, brothers, fathers, and other assorted cast of male characters in your life about this. If doctors and others begin hearing the importance of testicular exams more often, it’ll become second nature to dedicate a decent amount of time to this vital task instead of treating it like a checklist item to gloss over.
More about Justin
Justin Birckbichler is a fourth grade teacher, testicular cancer survivor and the founder of aBallsySenseofTumor.com. From being diagnosed in November 2016 at the age of 25, to finishing chemo in January 2017, to being cleared in remission in March, he has been passionate about sharing his story to spread awareness and promote open conversation about men’s health. Connect with him on Instagram @aballsysenseoftumor, on Twitter @absotTC, on Facebook or via email justin@aballsysenseoftumor.com.
Let’s chat: When was the last time you had a chat about men’s health with the men in your life and what did you talk about? Let me know below.
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