Welsh Men Dying Too Young Sparks Call for a Men's Health Strategy
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I only found out I had cancer after my four-year-old kicked me in the testicles
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Figure caption: I only found out I had cancer after my four-year-old kicked me in the testicles
By Owain Clarke, Wales health correspondent and Matthew Bassett, BBC Wales
Published 7 hours ago
Ben Lidgey was "messing around" with his son in the garden when he was accidentally kicked in the testicles—but it may well have saved his life.
When he was still in pain after a week, he sought medical help and found out he had testicular cancer.
A new report from men's charity Movember says a third of men in Wales die before their 75th birthday, and calls on the Welsh government to develop a dedicated plan for men's health.
The government said its existing suicide prevention and self harm, mental health and cancer strategies are already working to tackle some of the challenges facing men.
Image caption: As a Movember ambassador Ben encourages men to check in on their friends and look after each other
Warning: This article discusses suicide
Lidgey, from Cardiff, says his testicle felt "like a cricket ball" after being kicked by his son, but was reluctant to see his GP, thinking the problem would go away.
"It's one of those fairly typical things that happens to men and you shrug it off and think, well, it'll get better," he said.
"I was in a busy family environment, you know, two small children, there were lots of other things going on."
After being given all-clear for cancer, Ben faced a different challenge.
"I felt like I was fine but after five years my wife said 'I don't think you are fine. I think you need to talk to somebody'."
"She was picking up on the fact that I was perhaps a bit shorter, a bit more argumentative, less patient with people and just not the same person I was before."
After counselling, Ben saw an improvement, and is now an advocate for more support for men and boys.
Why do men die younger?
A reluctance to seek help for both physical and mental health is often cited as a reason why men, in general, die younger.
Movember's report says almost 7,000 men died before their 75th birthday in 2024. The rate of premature death in women is significantly lower at 28%.
Often, it says, men die from preventable conditions or those likely to benefit from earlier treatment such as certain cancers, heart, lung and liver diseases, those related to drugs and alcohol as well as suicide.
Where a man lives also matters, with the premature mortality rate in Blaenau Gwent about 60% higher than in Powys, while men in the most deprived communities can expect to live 7.5 years less than those in the least deprived.
The analysis also suggest the costs to the Welsh economy of the top five causes of male premature death is £1.4bn a year.
Image caption: Jonathan Scourfield says social media has a powerful influence on young people adding to previous pressures
Jonathan Scourfield, professor of Social Care at Cardiff University, said: "Young men, in particular, are much more likely to get injured and die from physical risk taking. The expectation of physical strength."
He said some men may also ignore the importance of building up a social network, or rely on a female partner to take care of that.
"And then, if they're widowed or if they retire, they really struggle with loneliness," he said.
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