Men in the U.K. are being urged to make the most of the health advice available from pharmacists and other health-service providers since studies have shown that men are often reluctant to use health services unless they are in significant pain, according to a Department of Health news release. This is despite the fact that men are much more likely than women to die from a number of common diseases and that the average man is likely to spend up to 15 years suffering from a serious or chronic illness.
British Health Minister Rosie Winterton issued a call in late April for men to utilize available health advice. “The challenge for all of us,†said Winterton, “is to reach these people, such as the 50-year-old male smoker who does not routinely access health services but wants to give up smoking.â€