When it comes to looking up medical treatments or trying to book a GP appointment, women are much more proactive than men. According to a UK study by medical search engine WhatClinic.com, less than one in three people who search online for ways to treat health problems are male, while just 35 per cent of searches for GP appointments are made by men. “There is a general consensus that women take the lead when it comes to making healthcare decisions, and certainly within the family, are the ones who research and book treatments for themselves and others,” explained Emily Ross, director of WhatClinic.com. But the split between men and women varied significantly according to the health problem being treated, with some issues searched much more by males. In the case of hair transplants, for example, 72 per cent of treatment searches were made by men. At the opposite end of the spectrum were acne treatments, for which 78 er cent of searches were made by women. Allergy treatments were also much more likely to be looked up by women, with men accounting for just one in three searches. There were some areas that had a more even split, however, such as sexual health, where men and women accounted for pretty much equal numbers of searches. Commenting on the findings, GP Wayne Cottrell said: "Men are generally more reticent about looking after their health and can lag behind women when it comes to general health checks. Men often wait until the problem is more serious before seeking help which means they can leave it quite late before getting treatment. However, we see a lot of men who are seeking sexual health advice and STD testing and treatment so it is encouraging that they are taking care of their sexual health. It is important that men feel more comfortable looking after their health and seek help as soon as they notice a potential health issue. Source
