Men have a knack for taking good care of their vehicles.

So why not their own bodies?
 

From an early age, women see their physicians for annual exams. As they come to know fairly early on, Pap smears and mammograms and such are critical.
 

But men aren’t as prone to go to doctors for checkups and preventive care. Yet, they are more likely to drink alcohol and use tobacco and make choices risky in life.
 

In 1990, the American Medical Association reported that men don’t visit the doctor because of fear, denial, embarrassment and misguided masculinity.
 

Instead, they procrastinate, not seeing a doctor for regular checkups.
 

Men should take better care of themselves, and this account will address what health issues they should be checked for and how often they should see their doctors.
 

“Women are more active at getting in touch with their healthcare providers. Unfortunately, men wait until the last minute,” said Richmond Owusu, MD, a urologist with Cape Fear Valley Urology.
 

And, on average, men have shorter lifespans than women.
 

“When it comes to your health, you know, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.’ A primary health care doctor is essentially a maintenance man for your body. But the thing is you can’t replace your body. You can replace your car. You only have one chance with your body,” said Christopher Imber, MD, a 54-year-old healthcare provider with Cape Fear Valley Primary Care – Fayetteville Family.
 

“You take your car in for an oil change to prevent things from going on,” he said. “That’s why you go in to see your doctor each year for a physical.”
 

Dr. Imber, who has been practicing medicine since 1998, recommends that men see their physician once a year for routine checkups. More often, he notes, if they suffer from a chronic condition that requires monitoring such as blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease.
 

In general, Dr. Imber said, the primary health concerns that men should be checked for on a regular basis include risk factors for heart disease (uncontrolled blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, being male, being old and being overweight).
 

“A lot of times heart disease runs in families,” he said, “because of a genetic predisposition for high cholesterol. Most of it is made by your liver, not what you eat. Your family history has a lot to do with it.”

Imber is a firm believer in a colon cancer screening at age 45. If there was any family history of colon cancer, he added, the previous recommendation for a colonoscopy was age 50.
 

“I still get a PSA on guys starting at age 40 even though they say not to do that as a screening test anymore,” he said of the annual screening for prostate cancer. ”Apparently, there were a lot of false negatives.”
 

At 50, he recommends that men get a shingles vaccine.
 

And, unless there’s a risk factor that calls for it to be given earlier – such as uncontrolled heart disease, diabetes or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) – men should receive a pneumonia shot at 65.
 

A general rule for a tetanus shot, according to Dr. Imber, is every 10 years. “A lot of people forget about that,” he said.
 

Men also should make an appointment with their eye doctor at least every two years.
 

If they have ever smoked on a regular basis, the doctor said, men should have an abdominal ultrasound to look for aneurysms. This should be arranged from age 65 to 75.
 

He followed up by saying, “It’s a one-time thing, depending on what they find. The same goes for low-dose CAT scans of the chest for low-dose smokers.”
 

Not to be forgotten: This healthcare provider says to see your dentist once a year.
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The 38-year-old urologist Dr. Owusu joined Cape Fear Valley Urology in September of last year. This Ghana native’s background includes obtaining his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine.
 

He has been practicing Urology independently for four years now.
 

“Every man – if he lives long enough – is probably going to need a urologist at some point” he said. “This is because prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men” and is diagnosed and mainly managed by urologists. Also, he says, "As men get older, the prostate enlarges and can cause urination problems that are also managed primarily by urologists.”
 

Men, he said, need urologists for different stages of comprehensive care regarding their health.
 

“We take care of men at all ages for many different things,” Dr. Owusu said. “Men who are no longer interested in having more or any kids at all, often require vasectomy as the most reliable birth control; That is a procedure performed by a urologist.”

Kidney stones, which are also very common in the general population, also are managed by urologists. Likewise, urologists specialize in the management of erection problems, low testosterone, urinary problems of all kinds, and enlarged prostate. “A relationship between a urologist and a patient is often a relationship for the long haul," he said.
 

Urologists also manage cancers affecting the kidney, bladder, and all male genital organs. If diagnosed early, most urological conditions are treatable, he said.
 

Owusu recommends that males have a PSA screening once they reach age 45, a five-year difference from Imber’s suggestion of 40.
 

The recent guidelines from the American Urological Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network that Dr. Owusu cited in the interview, are because men are getting prostate cancer earlier. So instead of dragging your feet to age 55 or 60, he said, men should have their prostate checked earlier than was previously recommended.
 

Part of an annual physical should include having a PSA done. “Prostate cancer is one of the most curable cancers if detected early," he said. "That results when you see a primary care doctor. They check and find your PSA number is high and send you to see a urologist to check for prostate cancer.”
 

As for which tests in the areas of male reproductive organs and urinary tracts should be considered must do’s for men, Owusu replied:
– “The PSA blood test and a urine test is a must. Everything else builds up on that.”
– If there are changes in urination, the strength of urination, blood in the urine -- you want to be seen by a urologist;
– “Any problems or changes with testicles such as pain, enlargement, hardening, swelling -- getting an ultrasound is important.”
 

Overall, he was asked, how can men protect their health?
 

By getting and staying healthy, Dr. Owusu said.
 

“Studies have shown that, in general, men who are healthy, live longer and are able to maintain erections longer,” the still-young urologist said. “Living a more active and healthier lifestyle, eating healthy, drinking lots of water goes a long way for general male health. Also getting regular physicals from your primary healthcare provider for preventative health services is important.”