At the risk of stereotyping and criticising men, an apparent gender and culture gap on health is worth highlighting.
Males, taken as a whole, are significantly worse than women at looking after their health and they show much greater reluctance to visit the doctor. This is a fact across, at least, the Western world, and has been established again and again. Many men, of course, buck that trend and many women will be careless or negligent with their wellbeing.
But the overall conclusion cannot be disputed. One recent British study found nearly twice as many men as women had not visited their GP in the previous year.
Men are also much less likely to go to the dentist, ask a pharmacist for advice or attend contraceptive clinics. The implications are delayed diagnosis, unnecessary suffering and earlier death.
Many deaths can be prevented or conditions treated sooner if men cared for themselves better, had regular check-ups and acted on concerns.
Because of all this, men are more likely to end up in hospital. Why, when it comes to health, are men so staunch and stupid? And what can be done?Boys and men, despite their feebleness in some situations, generally pretend to be tough.
In whatever ways genetic and cultural elements blend, boys often try to appear resolute and seem much less likely to communicate personal matters. From an early age, procrastination is more common in boys, as is risk taking.
They are more likely to avoid unpleasant issues and just hope problems will go away.
Men might be infamous for their predilection to pathetic responses - a la ''man flu'' - and might, in reality, not be able to be as well equipped to cope with emotional and physical strains. But, in their own minds, many think they should be able to take big hits, shrug off adversity and play the warrior.
A trusted celebrity like Sir John Kirwan can make it all right to admit to health issues, in his case depression, and to seek help. Other celebrities can also play a role. Hollywood star Samuel Jackson last week urged men to be more open about their health problems in an attempt to tackle cancer.
He is fronting a new British charity called One For The Boys.
Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, has had a big impact on women's health with her decision to go public about her double mastectomy.
The number of women ringing the breast cancer helpline in New Zealand has tripled and in New South Wales increased 900%.
The Men's Health Trust New Zealand is a charity here which ''desperately wants to change the way men think about their health and encourage them to proactively visit their doctors and take responsibility for living healthy lives''. It claims eight men die each day from preventable disease.
Perhaps men are more easily embarrassed or shy than women about personal matters, and more fearful of what the results might be. They are also less likely to be familiar with doctors and the medical environment.
Women are more likely to have taken children to the doctor and have visited for contraception or smears.
There are few male nurses or receptionists, few opportunities to visit family doctors outside working hours. Some men may be put off by even a little matter such as few men's magazines or men's health posters in waiting rooms. It is probably true, too, that many men are pushed into visiting doctors by the women in their lives.
But, ultimately, it is up to men to take more responsibility for their health and wellbeing.
They need to be aware of the limitations of their attitudes and male images.
They need to be prepared to admit to their vulnerabilities and act on warning signs. They need to follow check-up advice and for their own sakes, as well as for those who love and care for them, take much better care of themselves.
