The biggest challenge in men’s health is getting through the surgery door before it's too late
9 June 2025, 11:59
Stigma, lack of professional guidance, and missed opportunities for early intervention are the biggest barriers to better male health outcomes.
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That’s why this Men’s Health Week, we need to rethink how we can deliver healthcare to men, particularly those in their 20s to 50s, when preventive care can have the biggest impact. Men who don’t engage in healthy behaviours or preventive care increase their chance of heart disease, strokes and can reduce their life expectancy 4 years lower than women.
I know the importance of this change first-hand. I used to feel guilty spending significant time or money on my health. But when my smartwatch alerted me to atrial fibrillation at age 43, it wasn’t just a personal health scare - it was a wake-up call about men’s health. The biggest challenge in men’s health isn’t the diseases themselves. It's getting men through the door before it's too late.
This is also why digital first care can change the game. From home testing kits to health apps, these tools are revolutionising men’s health by removing traditional barriers that have long deterred men from seeking help. Discreet access to screening for hormonal health, weight, or sexual health issues makes it easier to take that first step and that step can be lifesaving.
But the challenge runs deeper than access alone. Traditional notions of masculinity create a stigma that actively discourages men from prioritising their health. Often men feel pressure to appear “strong” and avoid discussing health concerns or emotions. For example, erectile dysfunction is often suffered in silence, despite it serving as an early warning system for cardiovascular, hormonal, or mental health issues that require treatment.
We see men turning to informal networks such as gyms, sports clubs, online forums, and social media to seek healthcare advice rather than speaking to a GP. A recent study conducted by Numan revealed that young people (under 30) were twice as likely to have learnt about conditions such as testosterone deficiency at the gym or from personal trainers than the average, while one in five obtained their information from social media. Whilst a worry around the quality of information they are receiving, it’s also an opportunity to leverage these spaces to share accurate, safe health advice and support, right where men already feel at ease.
Empowering men to manage their health should be central to how we design the healthcare system, and that includes giving them real choice. As Wes Streeting has rightly argued, the future of the NHS must be one where patients have greater control over their care. That means more personalised, tech-enabled tools that let men track their data, monitor symptoms, and make informed decisions ahead of time. Digital-first care makes this possible - meeting men where they are, removing shame, and providing control.
Men’s Health Week is a chance to focus on building a healthcare system that truly supports men in taking their health seriously. Digital healthcare is key to saving lives by helping men get the support they need, when they need it, and without stigma.
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Sokratis Papafloratos is the founder and CEO of Numan, a UK based healthtech company dedicated to helping people live healthier, happier, and longer lives through personalised, integrated care on a single digital platform.
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