“Men are encouraged to be fearless and strong, but that means there’s a tendency to avoid seeking care even when it affects their overall wellness,” says Aaron Lentz, MD, FACS, a Urologist at Duke Urology Men’s Health Center.
One-third of adult men do not see a doctor regularly, and they are 70% less likely to seek medical treatment compared to their female counterparts, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Duke Health opened Duke Urology Men’s Health Center last year to offer comprehensive care in all aspects of men’s health and wellness. The multi-disciplinary center provides diagnostic evaluation and expert treatments, and can also connect men to the primary or specialty care they need.
“As a urologist, I deal with the sensitive issues that are most likely to bring a man to the doctor,” Lentz says, like sexual dysfunction, incontinence, or an enlarged prostate. “But men’s health is not a single system issue, and the reality is that everything’s connected.”
Male sexual health concerns can sometimes be symptoms of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, or psychological problems such as depression. The center’s specialists screen for these and other underlying health problems. The center hopes to simplify the health care experience so that the first point of contact becomes the gateway for access to all-inclusive specialty care, Lentz explains.
“This is not just a place to go when you’re too embarrassed to go to your own doctor,” says Lentz. “We want to build relationships with patients and inform, educate and empower men about all of their health care choices.”
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