Survey finds why most men avoid doctor visits

The survey, commissioned by Orlando Health, and found that the top excuse men make to avoid scheduling annual appointments with their primary care physician, is that they are too busy. The survey showed that the second most common excuse men make is that they are afraid of finding out something might be wrong with them. Men also say that they are uncomfortable with certain body exams such as prostate checks, which rounds up the top three excuses.

The two doctors who launched the Drive for Men's Health campaign say they've heard those excuses -- and plenty more. That's why urologic robotic surgeons Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt and Dr. Sijo Parekattil are driving cross country to challenge men to stop making excuses and start making changes.

"Men can spend 3­4 hours golfing or watching a ball game every week, or find the time to take a trip to Vegas with their buddies, but they can't spare 90 minutes a year to get a check up? That's inexcusable," said Brahmbhatt, men's health activist and Co­Director of the PUR (Personalized Urology & Robotics) Clinic in Clermont, Florida. "As men, we need to make our health more of a priority, and that's what the Drive for Men's Health campaign is all about."

On June 9, Brahmbhatt and Parekattil, the other Co Director of the PUR Clinic, will hop into an electric Tesla model S, and embark on the 3rd annual Drive for Men's Health, a 10 ­day, 6,000 mile coast­to­coast journey that will take them from Orlando, Florida through New York City and will end in Los Angeles, on June 18.

Along the way, the pair will make dozens of stops and will use social media throughout the roadtrip to engage followers worldwide to talk about men's health issues.

"Last year we reached more than 450 million people, with everything from on­the­road podcasts, to late night call­-in radio shows, to face­to­face meetings," said Parekattil. "It was a remarkable experience, and this year we hope to reach even more men."

Followers are encouraged to engage with the Drive for Men's Health doctors and share their excuses and what has helped them stop making excuses for going to the doctor on the following social media channels, using the hashtags #Drive4Men #D4MH and #DropYourExcuse Twitter, Instagram and Periscope: @drive4men; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drive4men

The doctors point out that the life expectancy for men is at least 5 years less than it is for women, and of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., men are more likely that women to die from 9 of them.

"One of the biggest reasons for those statistics, is that women are much more proactive about their health than men," said Brahmbhatt. "We often use the analogy that our bodies are a lot like our cars? men will take the time to do preventative maintenance on their cars, like getting tune ups and oil changes, but for whatever reason, we often don't take the same care of our bodies. We need to change that mindset."

The Drive for Men's Health will to stop at Anytime Fitness locations in 10 cities where they will share tips for how men can overcome their excuses for taking care of their health. The two doctors will also share their health regime, which includes losing nearly 90 pounds combined and gaining muscle over the past year.

• Thursday June 9: Orlando
• Friday June 10: Atlanta
• Saturday June 11: Washington D.C.
• Sunday June 12: Philadelphia and New Jersey
• Monday June 13: New York City
• Tuesday June 14: Cleveland
• Wednesday June 15: Chicago
• Friday June 17: Las Vegas
• Saturday June 18: Los Angeles