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. Twenty men with prostate cancer took part in semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using thematic analysis. Results. Three themes were identified related to negative attitudes towards 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 non-health) professionals, and the disclosure of sexual-related symptoms. Conclusion. The barriers identified in our study strengthen the evidence for the impact of the traditional masculine on help-seeking in men.