Who says?

Everyone; this myth is repeated so often you’d assume it’s gospel. Your other half will delight in using it as a stick with which to beat you all the way to your GP’s door.

How wrong is it?

It’s a distortion of the truth.

Give me the facts

Women do use health services more than men, but that’s because they have more reason to. As a bloke, you’d get funny looks if you booked for a smear, ante-natal check, Pill prescription and so on. True, you’re the proud owner of a prostate and pant-tackle that the girls don’t have. But these are easily trumped by lady’s problems involving breasts and gynaecology. Now do the maths: subtract from female health service use the strictly girlie stuff, then do the same for men. You’ll find that at least 60 per cent of the apparent male v female difference in doctor door-stepping vanishes.

What should you do?

Don’t feel as though you’re neglecting the health service but use it when you really need to. And if she says you should have a health MoT, refer her to the forthcoming myth: “Blokes would be healthier if they visited the doctor more often”.

Last word

“It’s not so that men use health services less; it’s just that women use them more.”