Barriers to medical help-seeking among older men with prostate cancer

Objective: Men's disinclination to seek medical help has been linked to higher rates of morbidity and mortality compared to women. However, previous studies were conducted predominantly with healthy, young, and middle-aged men. We explored the perceived medical barriers to help-seeking in older men with prostate cancer. Method: 20 men with prostate cancer took part in semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were identified related to negative attitudes toward help-seeking: male gender role; fear of the health condition, medical and treatment procedures; and embarrassment as a consequence of medical examinations, communication with health (and nonhealth) professionals, and the disclosure of sexual-related symptoms. Conclusion: The barriers identified in our study strengthen the evidence for the impact of traditional masculinity on help-seeking in men.