He felt fine, until he didn’t.

For months, maybe years, the signs were easy to dismiss: fatigue, discomfort, subtle changes he chose not to confront. He kept going, providing for his family, until a doctor’s visit shifted the conversation from prevention to treatment.

This is not one man’s story. It reflects the reality of many Jamaican men who discover serious chronic illnesses too late.

Men’s Health Month, observed each June, highlights this risk. It is a reminder that early action and preventive care are essential to protecting long-term health.

Consultant urologist Dr. William Aiken identifies a key barrier: socialisation. “Boys and men are taught to be stoic, tough and self-reliant,” he explains. “Many see seeking help as a sign of weakness and fear stigma.”

This mindset delays care. “Many men feel illness happens to other men,” he says. “Sometimes, fear may paralyse a man from seeking help.”

The danger is that many conditions develop silently. Hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, prostate cancer and colon cancer often show no early symptoms. “Many diseases are asymptomatic in their early stages, and that is when they can potentially be cured,” Dr. Aiken notes.

Preventive care is therefore critical. He recommends annual check-ups from age 35, prostate cancer screening from age 40, and colon cancer screening from age 45, alongside healthy habits such as exercise, proper nutrition, sleep, hydration and stress management.

“Health is a composite of physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing,” he adds, urging a holistic approach.

Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common among Jamaican men, with BPH affecting daily comfort through urinary symptoms.

Support is available through the NHFCard, which provides subsidies on selected tests and medications for chronic illnesses, helping to reduce the cost of care.

Dr. Aiken also calls for cultural change: “We must make health services more welcoming of men.”

This Men’s Health Month, men are encouraged to act early—get screened, ask questions and seek help. Protecting your health is an investment in your life, your family and your future.