As inconvenient as it may be, the fact that young women often have to go to a physician for reproductive health issues such as birth control, common infections, or prenatal care means that women are aware of the need to visit a health care provider regularly. Although doctors suggest that men begin getting annual Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests in their forties, men in their twenties can take advantage of free health screenings to form good habits and build trust with their physician.
Trends vs. Numbers
Monitoring the results of individual tests is clearly important, but watching for changes over time by comparing regular exams that begin at an early age can be much more telling. If your partner is not keeping track of the test results, you can mention that both men and women need to keep a lookout for changes. Ask your partner to help you review family medical history and talk about upcoming doctor’s appointments with each other. If you have any concerns about his health, you can ask him the day before the appointment to ask his physician about them. Write questions or key words down as you talk about them, and give him the list before he goes. He might appreciate the concern, and getting questions ready ahead of time can help make the most of the trip to the doctor.