Men 'twice as likely' to ignore serious health symptoms

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British men are almost twice as likely as women to avoid seeking medical help when experiencing a serious health symptom, research finds.

LV= found two thirds (65%) of working men in the UK have ignored a general health problem while 7% (or 1.2 million working men) chose not to seek medical help after experiencing more serious symptoms, such as tingling, numbness or double vision.

Male workers are more likely to end up taking long-term sick leave than female workers.

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, last year there were 50% more men on long-term sick leave than women.

Men aged 18-45 are 21% more likely to be on long-term sick leave than women of the same age.

For some men, even suffering from a serious health condition would not be enough to prompt them to seek medical attention.

Almost half (44%) of British men claim that they would not visit their doctor in the event of experiencing chest pains, while just one third (37%) would seek medical advice if they had shortness of breath.

On noticing blood in their urine just two thirds (63%) of men say that they would do anything about it6.

One in 10 cite ‘not wanting to hear bad news' as one of the reasons for not seeking medical help, while a similar number (9%) are ‘put off' by doctors. However, almost half (44%) of men choose to adopt the ostrich position and hope that any health problem will ‘sort itself out'.

For men who have sought advice for a serious health problem in the past five years, one in five (20%) left it longer than a week before going to see a doctor.

Additionally, almost one in 10 (9%) men admit that they don't have a backup plan, with 8% of men saying that they don't know how they would manage financially if they were sick and without their regular income for a prolonged period.

When asked about their company's sick pay policy, a fifth of men stated that their company did not offer one, with a further 17% saying that they are unsure as to whether their company has one.

Despite this, only a third (37%) of men have any critical illness or income protection cover in place, meaning that many would have to rely on Statutory Sick Pay if they were unable to work.

Mark Jones, head of protection at LV= said: "A large number of men, in particular, are burying their heads in the sand when it comes to addressing their health concerns. This not only means they're putting their health at risk but also increases the likelihood that they will have to take long-term sick leave, which can have a significantly negative impact on their finances.

"Whilst no one wants to think about getting ill, the reality is that some people will need to be off work for a long period of time. Having a contingency plan, such as income protection or critical illness cover offers people peace of mind that if they were to fall ill they can focus on getting better without the added worry of making ends meet."

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