Boys with a suffering manhood often don’t want to show it to a doctor. That’s the conclusion of a nationwide study believed to be the first linking teens� beliefs about manliness to their use of health care services.

Research led by specialists at the Johns Hopkins Children�s Center has found that teenage boys who hold some traditional beliefs about what it means to be a �real man� can undermine their sexual health and good preventive care in general.

A second finding of the study analyzing data from a survey of 1,600 boys ages 15 to 19 is that boys who can speak openly to their parents about sexual health are more likely to see a doctor for preventive care, while the lack of health insurance is a strong barrier to care.

�Many illnesses in young men, such as sexually transmitted infections, can be prevented through timely intervention by a doctor or a nurse,� says lead author Arik Marcell, M.D., M.P.H., a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist at the Children�s Center. �However, stereotypes about masculinity suggest that for boys, seeking care is a sign of weakness, and our analysis shows that such beliefs can be considered a health risk factor in and of itself.�

Source: Myths About Manhood Keep Teen Boys from Sexual Health Care