Study Found Men Don't Go To The Doctor When They Should

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NEW YORK (CBSMiami) - A new study finds most men don't go to the doctor when they should and it's their partners who try to keep them on track.

Stephanie Ott says she can relate. She says she is constantly nagging her husband Peter to go to the doctor but he just won't listen.

"I just think it is a cool macho thing. Like I will get over it, it's just a flesh wound," said Peter Ott.

A new survey from the Cleveland Clinic shows sixty percent of men don't go to the doctor when they need to.

Sora Monachino said sometimes it's a struggle to get her husband Brad to go to the doctor.

"I'll say you should call the doctor and go in for a check," she said.

"And I'll say give it a week and it will be fine," he replied.

The study also found that women are diligent when it comes to their partners' health. Eighty-three percent of women surveyed encourage their spouses or significant others to go to the doctor once a year.

"The fact is men think they are healthier than they are and the female significant others realize that isn't always the case," said Dr. Ryan Berglund.

Dr. Berglund, a urologist, said men should go to the doctor if they have symptoms that won't let up. He added that men should also be getting regular health screenings. A colorectal exam beginning at age 50 and a prostate check starting at 15 years old.

"Prostate cancer is a classic example of a disease that is very curable if caught early. It is very difficult to treat by the time you develop symptoms for the disease," said Berglund.

Dr. Berglund says the key is to catch and treat issues at the start, before they turn into larger problems down the road.

The study also finds a quarter of both men and women surveyed first turn to the internet, not their doctors, when they have a health-related question.