60% of men in Brazil go to the doctor only after unbearable symptoms

Six out of 10 men in Brazil seek a doctor only when symptoms are unbearable. Such is the scale of the challenge of the Blue November campaign, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next month and seeks to educate the male public about the need for health prevention. What was initially a campaign against prostate cancer, now includes all the major diseases that affect men, such as cardiovascular disease or little talk of penile cancer.

The Lado a Lado pela Vida institute, which is leading the November Azul campaign, released a poll on Wednesday that interviewed 1,800 men from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. Among other Latin American countries, the rate of men who turn to a doctor only after symptoms become unbearable is even higher, at 7 in 10.

This data reflects what they are observing in health systems, said Dr. Marlene Oliveira, head of the organization. According to her, preventive measures are necessary for men’s health.

On the 3rd of next month, it will launch the 0800 November Blue campaign for men only asking questions about health.

The head of the institute, Marilyn Oliveira, also highlighted the importance of talking about penile cancer, which, according to the specialist, leads to 1,600 amputations annually, with a high incidence in the northern and northeastern regions.

The Blue November 2021 campaign bears the slogan “Take care of what is yours” and alerts males that 11% of men will develop prostate cancer, therefore, prevention and regular checkups are essential.

The Brazilian Urological Society recommends that men without risk factors or symptoms seek a doctor after age 50 for an evaluation. In the case of people with risk factors, such as being black or having a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, medical evaluation should be done after the age of 45 years.

In 2020, more than 65,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 16,000 people lost their lives to the disease in 2019, according to data from the National Cancer Institute.