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Survey finds men don't talk about their family health history risks

The 4th Annual Drive for Men's Health aims to get men talking to each other

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Survey Finds Men Don't Talk About their Family Health History Risks

video: A new national survey by Orlando Health found that four out of five men have never talked to a family member about sexual health. Men also lagged far behind women under the age of 34, who are about 90 percent more likely to talk to relatives, not just about sexual health, but also other conditions with genetic links such as cancer and mental illness. view more 

Credit: Orlando Health

Clermont, Fla, (May 31, 2016) - Knowing your family history and hereditary risks is extremely important in preventing future health problems. But it's a topic that men tend to avoid, especially when it comes to sexual health. A new national survey commissioned by Orlando Health finds that four out of five men have never talked to a family member about sexual health. Men under age 35 lagged far behind women of the same age, who are about 90 percent more likely to talk to family members, not just about sexual health, but also health issues that tend to run in families, such as cancer and mental illness.

Learning about family health history at a younger age is important because 18-34 is when men are likely to be most sexually active and also most likely to start a family. Knowing your risks can help men notice any developing symptoms and start medical treatment as soon as possible.

To help men get the conversation started when it comes to family health history, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt and Dr. Sijo Parekattil, both urologists at Orlando Health, are hitting the road for the 4th annual Drive for Men's Health. This year, they embark on "Mission Manhood," with the goal of encouraging men to open up to each other about health concerns, especially with their own family members.

"What I've realized in the past four years doing the Drive for Men's Health is that it's okay to talk to your friends and family, and it's really not as awkward as a lot of guys think." said Brahmbhatt, men's health activist and Co-Director of the PUR (Personalized Urology & Robotics) Clinic in Clermont, Florida. "Fathers and grandfathers need to start an open dialogue with their children," he said. "Younger family members might not understand the benefits now, but I bet you when they get older, they'll appreciate that you had that conversation with them at an early age."

On June 3rd, Brahmbhatt and Parekattil, the other Co-Director of the PUR Clinic, will hop into an electric Tesla model S, and make the 3,000-mile journey across the country. Starting from Orlando, they'll drive to New Orleans, then Houston, then take a detour to the coast to visit Los Angeles, and finally end their road trip in Salt Lake City.

They'll invite men to join them at fitness events, bars, ball parks and even a 5K run where they'll spread the message: drop your excuses and take control of your health.

"The whole concept is that, if we can do something that's fun and interesting, perhaps we can also incorporate some valuable health education into this and make it memorable for the people that are engaged with us," said Parekattil, "And just showing up and engaging in these events creates a great opportunity to turn to your son or other family member and start that conversation about your health."

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If you can't make it to the live events, you can ride along with the doctors via social media using the hashtag #WhatsUnderYourHood. They'll be on Facebook live, Twitter and Instagram to answer questions, give live health advice and provide updates along their journey.

Twitter and Instagram: @drive4men

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drive4men

The doctors point out that the life expectancy for men is at least 5 years less than it is for women, and of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., men are more likely than women to die from 9 of them.

"One of the biggest reasons for those statistics is that women are much more proactive about their health than men," said Brahmbhatt. "We often use the analogy that our bodies are a lot like our cars; men will take the time to do preventative maintenance on their cars, like getting tune ups and oil changes, but for whatever reason, we often don't take the same care of our bodies. We need to change that mindset."

The Drive for Men's Health has partnered with ZERO, a national organization dedicated to eliminating prostate cancer. Brahmbhatt and Parekattil will hold events from June 3 through June 10 to spread the message that acknowledging your risks and seeing your doctor is the key to prevention.

  • Sunday-Monday June 3-5: Orlando
  • Tuesday June 6: New Orleans and Houston
  • Thursday June 8: Los Angeles
  • Friday-Saturday June 9-10: Salt Lake City

The omnibus survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Orlando Health from April 17-19, 2017, among 2,210 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick at shannon@mediasourcetv.com.

B-ROLL, SOUND BITES, WEB ELEMENTS & HI-RES STILL PHOTOS - Including HD video available for free/unrestricted use by the news media: http://bit.ly/2rvyehF

Courtesy: Orlando Health

For assistance in downloading, or if you have any questions, contact: shannon@mediasourcetv.com or call: 614.932.9950 or 614.477.2719.

About South Lake Hospital:

Orlando Health South Lake Hospital is a non-profit, 170-bed hospital in Clermont, Fla. The hospital's 180-acre health, education and wellness campus includes the inpatient hospital, The PUR Clinic - Personalized Urology Robotics, Centre for Women's Health, SkyTop View Rehabilitation Center, LiveWell Fitness Center, National Training Center, South Lake Endoscopy Center, South Lake Surgery Center, South Lake Home Health and South Lake Wound Care Center. South Lake Hospital has been serving the healthcare needs of the south Lake County community since 1947 and employs 1,350 team members and has over 250 physicians on its medical staff. For more information please visit SouthLakeHospital.com.


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