What checks do you need in your 20s?
Now is the time to start a relationship with a healthcare professional, so you can turn to them comfortably when anything “doesn’t feel right” – especially in areas you may find embarrassing when young, like sexual dysfunction and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), says Cape Town GP Dr Neville Wellington.
STIs
Get screened at least once a year in your 20s for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV – they are easy to treat when caught early but if neglected, can have serious repercussions for both your well-being and that of your sexual partner/s.
Blood pressure (BP)
This affects your sex life as well as your general health. Low BP can make it difficult to get and keep an erection, and untreated high BP can lead to blood vessel damage, which results in decreased circulation and difficulty maintaining an erection.
High BP can also lower libido and interfere with ejaculation. Have your BP checked at least every three years. Do it annually if you are at increased risk for hypertension – meaning you have a family history; your diet is high in sugar, fats and trans fats; you’re physically inactive; you drink or smoke; you’re overweight or obese.
“The main driver for hypertension is insulin resistance, which is driven by a diet high in liquid sugars and carbohydrates, and also causes weight gain,’ says Dr Wellington.
Blood glucose
Check your levels, especially if there is a family history of diabetes, being overweight, or having heart disease, Dr Wellington says. “Check them at least every three years, as even pre-diabetes affects sexual functioning.”
Testicular cancer
This is the most common cancer for men aged 15 to 49. Examine your testicles monthly from puberty, while soaping up in the shower, and feel for any lumps. It’s particularly important if you have risk factors, such as an undescended testicle or a family history.
What checks do you need in your 30s?
Keep going for annual check-ups with your healthcare professional. Depending on your general health and lifestyle, these may now also include an ECG to check for heart disease, and a blood test to screen for diabetes, thyroid disease, anaemia and liver problems.
What checks do you need in your 40s?
As well as the tests advised in your 20s and 30s, get checked for:
Prostate cancer
If you’re at high risk (with more than one first-degree relative having it at an early age), your healthcare provider may advise a blood (PSA) test. If you’re not high risk, these checks can start at 50. Frequency of follow-up tests will depend on the PSA test results.
Type 2 diabetes
Diabetes can cause sexual complications, so if you have symptoms of diabetes at any age, get checked (frequent urination, excessive thirst or hunger, unexplained weight loss, blurry vision, numb or tingling hands or feet, extreme tiredness and very dry skin). Even if you have no symptoms, you should begin testing at 45, and then go every three years. Begin earlier if you are overweight or obese or have other risk factors (a parent or sibling with diabetes, physical inactivity, high cholesterol and BP, a history of heart disease).
What checks do you need in your 50s?
Apart from the earlier tests, your healthcare provider may advise:
A colonoscopy, or at least a stool test, to check for colorectal cancer, and lung cancer screening, if you have a history of smoking.
In your 60s and beyond
In addition to all the annual tests above, speak to your healthcare professional about being tested for the following, all of which can interfere with an ongoing satisfying sex life:
Osteoporosis
It’s recommended that men older than 70 be screened, but that screening be done from around 50 if you have significant risk factors (fractures, smoking, drinking, being small and thin, losing height, having a family history).
Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
Get tested if you have memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion while doing familiar daily tasks, or mood changes.
Depression
Get tested if you have an ongoing depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. “These days there’s much that can be done to help,” Dr Wellington says.
Clicks clinics offer a comprehensive health risk assessment (blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, BMI, lifestyle report, meal and exercise plan), as well as basic health screenings and PSA screenings. Book an appointment by calling 0860 254 257, or visit https://clicks.co.za/clinicBooking
Also read: How screenings are part of self care
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