GP is your mate, Aussie males told

AUSTRALIAN men reluctant to visit their GP should view them as a friend “who can help them when they’re sick”.

Only 39 per cent of Australian men discuss healthy lifestyle issues with their GP, according to the most recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Speaking at the launch of Men’s Health Week (June 11 to 17), Indigenous Health Minister, Warren Snowdon, encouraged males to dispense with their reluctance to visit their doctor.

“Too many men don’t want to go to a doctor and they need to understand that a doctor is a friend, someone who can help them when they’re sick,” says Mr Snowdon.

“We need to highlight to Australian males

Mental health issues will also be a key focus of this year’s Men’s Health Week, with ABS data showing almost half (48 per cent) of Australian men have suffered some form of mental health issue.

Mr Snowdon says mental health is still a taboo subject for many men and urges younger Australians not to copy the behaviour of their older counterparts.

“In the older generation, males are males – you never had a man-hug,” he says.

“For younger men it’s about understanding that if you have a mental illness you can talk to people.

“We want to tell young males it’s good to be healthy.”