Healthy men build stronger families

Each year, many men across Jamaica set goals to work harder, earn more, and build stronger futures for their families. Too often, however, they overlook the one thing that makes all of it possible, their health.

In my office and in hospitals, I regularly meet men who say, 'Doctor, I should have come sooner.' These words are rarely spoken lightly. They are often voiced when disease has already advanced, when treatment becomes more complex, and when time feels suddenly and painfully limited.

Men are often raised to be resilient and self-reliant. We are taught to endure discomfort, to minimise symptoms, and to carry concerns quietly. While strength and perseverance are valued traits, silence in matters of health can be costly, particularly with urological conditions that frequently progress without early warning signs.

Urinary changes, sexual difficulties, testicular symptoms, and persistent discomfort are commonly dismissed as minor or temporary. In reality, they can signal conditions ranging from infection and hormonal imbalance to prostate disease, kidney problems, and cancer. When addressed early, many are highly manageable. When ignored, they can become life-altering or life-threatening.

Men's Health is a weekly column dedicated to changing that pattern. This series will examine the issues men are least likely to discuss, but most need to understand, from prostate health and sexual wellness to fertility, urinary symptoms, blood in the urine, and medical emergencies that demand prompt attention.

Each article is written in clear, straightforward language, avoiding unnecessary medical jargon, so the information can be readily understood by a wide range of readers.

Good health is not only a personal concern. It is a family issue, a workplace issue, and a national issue. When men remain healthy, families are more secure, productivity is strengthened, and communities are more resilient.

This series invites men across Jamaica to make a simple but meaningful commitment, to treat their health as a priority, not an after-thought.

This column will offer practical guidance, reliable information, and clear pathways to early action. From understanding the prostate and recognising warning signs of disease to addressing sexual health and fertility concerns, Men's Health is designed to support informed decision-making at every stage of adult life.

This is not a call to fear illness, but to value prevention. Not a message of alarm, but one of responsibility. Because when men take care of their health, they protect not only their own future, but the well-being of those who depend on them.

And that is why men's health matters.