Why Men hesitate Visiting Healthcare Centre's?

By: Sfundo Mathimbane

Twitter: @ssmathimbane

Email: sfundomathimbane@gmail.com

There has never been a straight answer to why men hesitate to visit health center's when they’re not feeling well. Nor is it a conversation that has much engagement around it due to the stigma of men seeking help in healthcare center's may be viewed as being weak.

Men often avoid seeking medical care even when they suspect it may be necessary. Most men buy into the stigma that they should be strong enough to handle things on their own, no matter what.

Image: Google

They convince themselves that seeing a doctor is a sign of weakness and their condition will improve on its own. Some men believe that they are too busy to be going to doctors. According to research by Boitekanelo Health Provider proved that 72 percent researchers said that they would rather be doing households chores, like cleaning toilets, than going to the doctor.

Some men procrastinate visiting healthcare center's out of fear. Men might delay essential medical tests because they are afraid of diagnosis. The more anxiety they experience about a task, the more likely they’ll put it off until later.

Here is the link of Mr T. Mathenjwa explaing why he doesn't like visiting healthcare centre's:

https://soundcloud.com/sfundo-mathimbane/tshwane-university-of-technology-soshanguve-campus?si=41f00deed51642eebd43643a8b8b0a88&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Tshepo Boikhutso who is a 25-year- old said that he hesitates going to the clinic because he’s been observing how public healthcare center's operate and he doesn’t like that.

“Dozens of patients return home without getting their medication, after spending the whole day in the line,” said Tshepo.

Tshepo further added, “Nurses work at a very slow pace in attending patients, they are rude in a way that if you dare question them on what is taking so long to dispense the medication, the next thing they threaten not to give you the medication.”

Click on the video below to see and listen to Mr John Mabitsela sharing his experience about hesitating to visit a healthcare Centre:

According to Harvard and Rutgers, men who self-report traditional views on masculinity are also less likely to get consistent health care. There appears to be a correlation between holding the belief that men should be strong and self-reliant (and slow to show emotion)

Mandla Magwaza  is a 45-year-old and he said that he does not go to healthcare Centre because he is a Zulu man that believes in traditional/natural herbs (imithi yesintu).

He jokingly added, “If you are a real man not a boy you shouldn’t be a cry baby in a way that once you start coughing, you run to the hospital like people with medical aid, but you should use traditional herbs.”

Image: Google

On average, men are twice as likely as women to go a year without visiting a healthcare provider. Men being less likely to seek health care may be due to upholding traditional masculine beliefs and social roles.

Mr David Mokoena (62) said that he hates going to the clinic, he visits because he doesn’t have a choice as he lives with diabetes.

“We suffer waiting in long queues and being maltreated by lazy nurses who shout at us as if we are their children,  that time they are my daughters age,” said Mr Mokoena.

Men tend to die younger and often from such ailments as heart disease, cancer, and stroke, and from injuries. The reason being that men don’t like visiting healthcare center's, but they wait until they are critically ill.