Who cares the most about your overall physical, mental and emotional health? Most men say they themselves do. On the other hand, it may well be the case that the Cleveland Clinic’s MENtion It® team cares more about your wellbeing than just about everyone else on earth.

Nine years ago, the Clinic launched its MENtion It® campaign to help men understand the importance of embracing and monitoring their health on every level. As part of their program, in 2019 the campaign began administering an annual survey of 1000 U.S. men ages 18 and older. How do men really feel about their health? What are they actually doing about it?

The 2023 survey turned up an interesting statistic about men’s sexual health: “… a significant portion of American men (37%) have experienced issues related to sexual health. Despite experiencing issues, only two in five men who experienced sexual problems say they sought professional help.” From this we may infer that even when men care about their bodies’ sexual wellness, less than half do anything about it.

Insights into sexual and reproductive health

Articles on the MENtion It® website provide insights into sexual and reproductive health that men should be aware of, particularly erectile dysfunction (ED). For example, 16 Common Questions About Erectile Dysfunction Answered reassures men that ED is often a normal part of aging, with erections being more difficult to achieve as men grow older. The article points out, “As you age, hormonal changes and other factors (hello, stresses of adulthood) affect your arousal levels.”

As we know, a lot of guys put off seeing a doctor. It’s easy to rationalize with excuses like:

• it will go away
• I’ll go after my next birthday
• it runs in my family but no one ever died from it

However, the experience of ED is often what motivates a man to make an appointment to see his primary care doc in hopes of getting a prescription for an easy fix, meaning an oral medication like Viagra, Cialis, etc. What he may not realize is, it may not be a simple sexual health problem. In fact, it may be an early warning sign of a looming serious—even life-threatening—condition: cardiovascular disease, circulatory problems, stroke risk, even diabetes. This is why the MENtion It® campaign urges all men age 40 and over to schedule annual doctor visits with their primary care doctor or urologist to at least check in regarding their overall and sexual health.

How many guys may be kidding themselves about how much their health matters? The Cleveland Clinic’s 2024 survey found that 95% of men surveyed said living a healthy lifestyle is their top priority. Impressive, right? And yet results showed that merely 61% of baby boomers and Gen X’ers get an annual exam. Don’t wait for an unexpectedly disappointing lovemaking experience. It’s worth a few hours out of an entire year to make sure your whole body is in good working order (and if not, to be able to correct any problems when they’re still early and manageable). Your penis will thank you for the gift of good health.

NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you have health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.