Too many British men shun the doctor, survey finds

The old adage that most men take better care of their cars than their health may still ring true. A survey of men in the UK finds that more than two thirds would only see a doctor if they have an urgent health problem.

According to the National Health Services in the UK, men go to their general practitioner half as often as women.

An online survey by OnePoll of 2,000 British adults found that 69 percent of men are not prioritizing their health and only visit their doctors for emergency care. For men over 45 years of age, this was true for 62 percent of the participants. While 42 percent of men over 45 thought it was a good idea to get regular health check-ups, they said they just never got around to it.

Charitable organization Prostate Cancer UK announced almost half (47 percent) of men in the over-45 age group surveyed said they did not know that there are often no symptoms of prostate cancer.

"Prostate cancer kills 10,000 men every year, and often there are no symptoms," says Prostate Cancer UK's chief executive, Owen Sharp. "And when there are signs of a prostate problem, some men still put off going to see their doctor."