Women like to complain about the exaggeration of “man flu” as much as they assume their partners love whingeing about it, but research shows men don’t overstate cold and flu symptoms as much as they are accused of.
A study by the Medibank 24/7 Health Advice Line found that men are in fact more likely to keep quiet about illness than exaggerate their symptoms.
Women were found to be twice as likely as men to call the advice line to discuss their symptoms for information when they felt unwell, and only a quarter of men were found to tell their partner if they have a cold.
Even fewer — one in ten — said they told their friends, and fewer than one in ten expected to be cared for by their partner when they fell ill.
The study was published to coincide with Men’s Health week, which begins Monday, aimed at promoting physical and emotional health whose life expectancy is four years less than women’s in Australia.
Health line medical director Georgia Karabatsos said male stereotypes were partly to blame for men being silent on health issues.
“It’s really important, as a nation, that we don’t let the Aussie male stereotype but pressure on the male population to stay silent about ill health or abnormalities,” Dr Karabatsos said, adding that “man flu” jokes could deter men from discussing their health.
“While it’s not necessary to seek advice for every cold, it’s essential men feel able to discuss more serious symptoms.”
