Men avoid bowel cancer screening out of fear

However, not all men respond to this. “What we saw in our research is that some men are still afraid of a bad outcome, but they also have reasons such as ‘I don’t think this could happen to me.’ And 27% think delivering faeces is a dirty idea.

“Some men have indicated that they are afraid to investigate further. This is an internal examination where doctors examine your bowel. You can then resolve the issues at an early stage, but if you already have colon cancer, a different treatment process will begin.”

Shame

You don't really have to send anything to the lab to do the research; All participants have to do is prick their feces with a stick. You can do it without getting your hands dirty. Then you put the stick in a tube and send it to the lab. Interestingly, a large percentage of participating men (44%) do not discuss this matter with anyone else. Research shows that they feel ashamed or find it uncomfortable to talk about it.

He says Robert Klein of Almelo also received the envelope last year Heart of Holland. “At first I thought: Oh, why am I participating in this? I feel good. I never had any complaints before, but in the end I sent the jar anyway.”

He was very happy about that, because when he got the results, it turned out that a tumor had been found. He removed this very quickly. “If I had not removed the tumor, I would have definitely developed colon cancer within two or three years,” Klein says. So his plea is: “If you get that message, share it.”

He encourages

This is exactly why the Foundation is drawing attention to this matter. Konings: “Looking behind you on the toilet, especially as you get older, can save your life.” However, nearly a quarter of men (23%) who are aware of the risks also decide not to participate.

A little help can really help, especially if it's from your GP, your partner or a family member. “We would actually like to call on all women to encourage their husbands to get themselves screened. Women seem more accustomed to medical examinations and talk about them more easily. If they can motivate their partner to get themselves checked, we can really make big steps forward.

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