This Movember, Book the Checkup
There is a familiar conversation that plays out in many homes this time of year. You ask your husband, your partner, your dad, or your brother when he last saw a doctor, and the answer comes with a shrug. He says he feels fine, things have been busy, and he will get to it eventually. If you have heard some version of that answer more than once, you are far from alone.
Many men put off routine checkups year after year, which is part of the reason November has become a month dedicated to men's health. Movember began in 2003 with a group of friends in Melbourne, Australia, who grew mustaches for the month to get people talking about men's health. Today it is a worldwide movement focused on prostate health, testicular health, and mental health, with the goal of encouraging men to speak more openly about their health and make time to care for it.
Many men feel healthy, and many are. Regular checkups help keep it that way. Several common conditions, including high blood pressure and early prostate changes, often cause no symptoms at all. A routine visit is one of the easiest ways to stay ahead of them and help the men in your life feel their best for years to come.
The Checkups Men Tend to Skip
Prostate health can feel uncomfortable to bring up because it touches on private topics such as bathroom habits. Our urologists take time to listen, explain each step in plain language, and answer every question without rushing. For most men, screening conversations begin around age 50, or earlier for those with a family history of prostate cancer, and often start with a PSA blood test that measures a protein made by the prostate. Our urologists can also help with common concerns such as getting up more often at night, which is often linked to an enlarged prostate and very treatable.
Beyond prostate health, blood pressure and routine bloodwork are two more checks that are easy to overlook, since changes in either rarely cause symptoms. Even without warning signs, high blood pressure can add strain to the heart and blood vessels over time, while cholesterol and blood sugar can shift gradually without notice. A quick reading and a standard blood panel at a yearly visit let our primary care providers catch these changes early, when small adjustments to daily habits or the right treatment plan work best.
Gentle Ways to Start the Conversation
Most people respond better to support than to pressure, which is why encouraging someone you love to see a doctor tends to go best when it feels like teamwork. Booking your annual visits together turns the checkup into a shared plan. Framing it as something your husband, partner, or dad is doing for you, the kids, or the grandkids also gives it meaning beyond the exam room.
Movember also offers a natural opening. Talking about what the month stands for can lead into a relaxed question about when the men in your life last had a checkup, without it feeling like pressure. Offering to find a convenient time or make the call also removes one of the most common reasons people put a visit off.
A little encouragement from you may be what finally gets that checkup on the calendar. If your father, husband or brother has questions or is not sure where to begin, our urologists and primary care providers are ready to listen and help him take the next step at a comfortable pace.