Men’s Health Week: Why Men Dodge the Doctor - and Why Northern Clinics Might Be the Smartest First Stop

The “I’m fine” reflex

Ask a group of men when they last saw their GP and the replies often hover between “ages ago” and an awkward laugh. Study after study shows that men book fewer routine checks, downplay sensitive symptoms and delay referrals. Time pressure, fear of bad news and, above all, embarrassment, create the perfect storm of avoidance, especially when the complaint involves anything south of the belt.

Yet the problems men sidestep are rarely trivial. Erectile dysfunction may be an early sign of heart disease; persistent heartburn can herald serious oesophageal damage; frequent night-time bathroom visits sap energy and hint at prostate change. Silence simply postpones the moment a clinician can catch something bigger.

What are men really avoiding?

1. Sexual performance worries – Erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation and low libido sit high on the shame index.
2. Hair and body-image concerns – Thinning hair or an expanding waistline cause daily frustration but don’t feel “worthy” of a GP appointment.
3. Digestive and urological niggles – Acid reflux, piles, interrupted sleep due to prostate symptoms: day-to-day discomforts that men “put up with”.
4. Cardio-metabolic red flags – Silent issues such as raised blood pressure and pre-diabetes that rarely hurt until they suddenly do.
5. Lifestyle crossroads – Alcohol over-use, work-stress insomnia or flagging energy that thrive on denial.

Northern Clinics Men’s Health Services

This year Northern Clinics (NC) introduced a dedicated Men’s Health Service across its stores. The service allows qualified pharmacists to assess, prescribe and dispense treatment for dozens of male-health conditions-without sending you back to the GP queue.

Conditions Northern Clinics can help tackle today

• Erectile dysfunction & premature ejaculation – After a cardiovascular screen, NC pharmacists can supply oral treatments and flag anything that needs a GP’s attention.
• Urinary/prostate symptoms – Treatment options for urinary symptoms, alongside Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood testing kits with results within days
• Male-pattern hair loss – Oral or topical treatments, paired with lifestyle advice to prevent hair loss and in some people, increase hair growth.
• Weight-management support – Various treatment options supervised by NC, alongside tailored diet and lifestyle advice, BMI and waist measurements.
• Heartburn & digestive relief – A range of treatments for acid reflux, haemorrhoid treatment, plus diet trigger coaching.
• Lifestyle-risk coaching – Alcohol-reduction medicines, smoking cessation, sleep-hygiene packs and at-home blood kits.
• Rapid tests & vaccines – Cholesterol and diabetes (HbA1c) finger-prick tests, influenza and travel jabs – available at your convinience.

The ripple effect of “fast and discreet”

When a man can sort a sensitive issue in one, judgement-free visit, two powerful things happen:

1. Early intervention becomes normal. Someone who fixes troublesome reflux at NC is far more likely to agree to a routine blood-pressure check at the next visit.
2. Health literacy improves. NC pharmacists translate medical jargon into plain language, handing men practical steps they can act on immediately - cut salt, halve the Friday pints, schedule that ECG.

1. Book online - no receptionist barrier, no three-week wait.
2. Private chat about symptoms, lifestyle and medical history.
3. On-the-spot checks: blood pressure, BMI, finger-prick glucose tests where relevant.
4. Immediate treatment: medicines prescribed and dispensed in one store*, lifestyle plan printed or e-mailed.
5. Follow-up checkpoint by text or in person within 4–8 weeks.

Total time invested: roughly half an hour-about the length of your lunch break!

*Where this is deemed clinically appropriate (following a consultation) and subject to stock availability.

This Men’s Health Week, do something easier than ignoring it

If you-or a man you care about-has been quietly living with “small” problems, park the bravado. Step into Northern Clinics and ask about their Men’s Health Service. You could walk out with medication, leave with reassurance, or receive a referral that heads off a bigger issue down the road. Whatever the outcome, you’ll be back on track-quickly, privately and without the drama of a doctor’s waiting room.

Health concerns don’t get less awkward as time passes; they just get harder to fix.

Start small, start local, start this week-at Northern Clinics.