by Kevin Zawacki, Senior, Franklin & Marshall College

With Men�s Health Week from June 4-20, our male readers should take the time to consider the state of their own health. While women are typically in the habit of having annual appointments, many young men avoid them, according to Ruth Buzi, assistant professor in the population program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, adding that men have a tendency to shrug off feeling unwell and are less inclined to divulge personal information.

�I know I�m supposed to go once a year,� says John O�Donnell, a 22-yearold senior at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. �But I don�t go that often.�

Don�t Drag Your Feet
�A college-aged male should be evaluated by a medical professional once a year, if not for a particular problem then for an annual physical or sexual health visit,� says Dr. P. Davis Smith, the medical director of Wesleyan University�s Davison Health Center in Middletown, Connecticut. �Annual visits aren�t necessarily about uncovering something serious. They�re about making sure your questions are being answered, you�re receiving advice for healthy living habits, and you�re being screened for sexually transmitted infections.�

The exams can also detect health problems, such as high blood pressure and potential skin cancer, and you may want to review any vaccinations you may need or want to get, such as the flu shot and the meningococcal vaccine.

Look Out for These Signs
�Relatively few [health] warning signs are specific to just males, and most are fairly obvious,� Dr. Smith says. �Coughing so much you can�t sleep, or being so tired you can�t concentrate [for example].�

There is one sign, however, that males tend to ignore�and really shouldn�t. �Rashes on the genitalia should be examined by the first or second day,� Dr. Smith stresses. �Many guys will wait it out�which is okay to do with a sore throat, but is more problematic in this situation.�

Dr. Smith explained that these rashes  are difficult to diagnose under even the best of circumstances�so the earlier they are evaluated, the better.

And while threats like prostate and colon cancer may be far-off and virtually non-existent for college males, testicular cancer remains a health concern for young men. Dr. Smith suggests monthly testicular self-exams.

�If you�re ever wondering about any physical problem,� says Dr. Smith, �visit your health center.�

About the Author
KEVIN ZAWACKI IS A SENIOR AT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE IN LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, MAJORING IN ENGLISH. HE IS EDITOR OF THE COLLEGE REPORTER.