There’s something a little strange about the way many men look after their health.
We’ll book the car in for a service when the dashboard light comes on. We’ll check the tyres before a road trip. We’ll even take it for a WOF when we know it probably needs some work.
But when our own bodies start making unfamiliar noises, many men take a different approach: ignore it and hope it goes away.
September is Blue September, a month dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer and encouraging men to take their prostate health seriously.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting New Zealand men, with around one in eight men developing it during their lifetime. One of the challenges is that early prostate cancer often causes no symptoms. Waiting until something feels wrong isn't necessarily the best approach.
For some men, changes may include needing to urinate more often, particularly at night, difficulty starting, a weak or interrupted stream, or blood in the urine or semen.
But these symptoms don't automatically mean prostate cancer. As men get older, the prostate commonly grows, which can cause benign prostate enlargement and similar urinary symptoms. Other conditions can cause them too.
That's why the answer isn't to Google your symptoms at 11pm and convince yourself you've got the worst-case scenario. It's to talk to your GP.
A PSA blood test may be part of that conversation. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate, and a raised level can have several causes, including prostate cancer. It's one piece of information your doctor can use alongside your age, family history, ethnicity, symptoms and overall health.
Family history matters too. Having a close relative who has had prostate cancer can increase your risk, while Māori and Pacific men can also face higher risk.
So this September, while you're thinking about getting the car serviced, consider doing a little maintenance on yourself too.
You don't need to know what's wrong before you make an appointment. You just need to start the conversation.
Because unlike your car, you don't get a WOF sticker telling you when it's time to pay attention.