Men's Health & Preventive Exams 
Why is June Men’s Health Month? It’s to create awareness of preventable health problems and help promote early detection and treatment for these conditions and diseases among men. Below are various preventive exams that men need to have done throughout their lives.
Preventive Exams and Screenings for Men:
- Annual Physical Exam – Your doctor can screen for high blood pressure, your height, weight, and BMI, as well as, asking about depression, diet and exercise, alcohol, and tobacco use. This should be done annually.
- Blood Pressure Screening – Having regular blood pressure screenings promotes early detection of high blood pressure, which can lead to further health issues. This should be done annually. If your doctor has concerns about it, they may require it more often.
- Eye Exam – As we age, our eyes tend to get worse. Men should have an eye exam at least once per year. If you have vision problems, glaucoma, or diabetes, you may need to have your eyes examined more frequently.
- Dental Exam and Cleaning – These should be completed twice a year to check your teeth and gums for any dental problems.
- Cholesterol Screening and Heart Disease Prevention – Cholesterol should be checked every 5 years, if you have high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, or kidney problems, you may need to be checked more often.
- Colonoscopy – If you’re 50 years old and older, unless your family has history of colon cancer or related diseases, you should have a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer. Depending on your family history, these may occur more often. Discuss it with your doctor.
- Prostate Screening – Men 50 and older should be discussing having a prostate exam to screen for prostate cancer.
Women should also be focusing on their health, especially as they age:
- Colorectal Cancer Screening should be completed after the age of 50 years old or sooner, if your family has a history of colon cancer or polyps.
- Mammogram should be completed after 40 every 1-2 years. If your family has a history of breast cancers, discuss with your doctor about completing a screening earlier than 40.
- Pelvic Exam and Pap Smears should be completed every 3 years, typically done during your annual exam. Pelvic exams and pap smears screen for cervical cancer, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and other STDs.
