THE "she will be right attitude" men take towards their health remains a concern and a local men's health group coordinator wants blokes to be proactive when it comes to their health.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
We are currently marking International Men's Health Week [Monday June 13 to Sunday June 19] and Peter Still, who helps run the Cancer Support Foundation of Milton Ulladulla's Men's Health group, wants men to look after their health.
Mr Still said men's health should be openly talked about regularly - not just for one week a year.
"I think all men should be a men's health ambassador - particularly us guys who have been through cancer or another illness as we know the signs and the symptoms," he said.
"When you are in the pub and you see your mate nicking off after one beer and then coming back and nicking again after another beer then I think it's up to us to say 'is everything alright with you'?
"Ask them - 'how are things going with you - have you got a problem?"
The Milton resident suggests men should encourage their mates to see their doctor if they are struggling with a health issue.
"I think it's up to men who have been through the process to be aware of what is happening around them so they can be a health ambassador for their mates and can give their mates a heads up," Mr Still said.
Mr Still knows of men who waited too long to get help and the results were fatal.
He was in his 60s when he got sick with a prostate problem.
"Fortunately for me, it was not cancer but it gave me a wake-up call," he said.
"When I first had my prostate issue I mentioned it in the pub with my mates."
Mr Still would also like more men to attend the health group meetings
The men's health and cancer support group meet every second Tuesday of each month from 6pm to 730pm at the Milton and Ulladulla Bowling Club 68/74 St Vincent Street Ulladulla in the upstairs meeting room.
Meeting dates are: July 12, August 9, September 13, October 11 November 8 and December 13.
Members of the community who would like to be involved are very welcome.
The purpose of the support group is to provide a confidential and safe place where men affected by cancer or other health issues can meet and are able to give and receive support, feel heard and understood by empathetic people, develop friendships, learn how other people are coping, feel less isolated, share thoughts and ideas and listen to one another in a non-judgemental and caring environment.
The group hopes to have a guest speaker at their meetings to discuss a topic of interest followed by a time where the group members can mix and partake in a general discussion.
