CHECK Magazin - Gesundheitsmagazin für Männer No.7

Prevention
Foto: Jannoon028 / Freepik.com
PINK RIBBON AND
MOVEMBER
October is international
breast cancer month. With the
symbol of the pink ribbon, the
month aims to raise public awareness
of breast cancer research, treatment
and prevention. And November has become
“Movember”, with the mustache as the corresponding
counterpart for the topic of prostate
and testicular cancer. Yet, not even 20% of
eligible men (45 and over) use the option of
preventive care and thus early detection. Why
not more?
Other preventive measures include vaccinations,
such as booster vaccinations for
diphtheria and tetanus, as well as vaccinations
for indications in the case of increased
risk for people and for relatives of certain
age or risk groups. In this case, influenza
and pneumococcal infections count as the
standard vaccination for people aged 60 and
over. Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B,
TBE (early summer meningo encephalitis),
meningococci, rubella, and whooping cough
are regulated differently by health insurers.
The health insurance companies also cover
the measurement of the intraocular pressure
for the early detection of glaucoma and, for
men over 65 years of age, the one-time ultrasound
examination for the early detection of
an aneurysm in the abdominal artery.
BEWARE OF VENEREAL
DISEASES TOO
The statutory benefits also include preventive
pregnancy examinations and annual
chlamydia screenings for women up to the
age of 25. As the latter is the most frequently
sexually transmitted bacterial disease in
the world, it can lead to unwanted sterility
(in all sexes), pregnancy complications, and
infections in newborns. In Germany alone, it
is estimated that there are up to 300,000 new
infections annually.
A study by the Federal Center for Health Education
(BZgA) showed that knowledge about
HIV has been at a high level for many years.
But only 14% of the population are aware of
chlamydial infections, despite the increasing
number of sexually transmitted infections
(STIs), such as syphilis or gonorrhea. In Saxony,
where gonorrhea infections have to go on
record (anonymously), the number of cases
per 100,000 inhabitants has increased more
than tenfold between 2001 and 2015.
Gonococci are not only transmitted
through anal or vaginal sex, but also
orally through the throat area. Gargling
with medicated mouthwashes unfortunately
doesn't help. Still the safest
precautionary measures are condoms
and mindfulness of what you put in
your mouth or what you lick.
HOW HEALTHY IS PREVENTION?
The aim of preventive care is to identify and
treat risk factors or precursors to a disease
in good time. For example, if small intestinal
polyps are discovered during a colonoscopy
that could develop into cancer, they will be
removed immediately. However, you never
know in advance whether a disease would
develop at all or whether the human immune
system would become active by itself.
Preventive operations are also emotionally
stressful. In addition, injuries can occur during
the examinations and the organism can be
unnecessarily stressed by X-rays.
CHECK BERLIN/BRANDENBURG #7
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