What is International Men’s Health Week?

International Men’s Health Week (MHW) runs from the 12th of June until Father’s Day on the 18th of June and is funded in Ireland by the Health Service Executive Health and Wellbeing and the Public Health Agency. MHW is celebrated in several European countries, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and a number of other places worldwide. 

MHW has been an annual event since 2005 and its main purposes are:

• To bring more awareness of preventable health problems for men of all ages.
• To support men and boys to engage in healthier lifestyle choices.
• Encourage the early detection and treatment of health difficulties in males.

The MHW theme for Ireland in 2023 will be ‘The Picture of Health’ and asks the question to men: what does health look like to you?

Why Men’s Health Week is so important

Males constitute almost 50% of the population on the island of Ireland, so it makes sense to have some awareness brought to their specific health needs. According to the Men’s Health Forum Ireland, research has shown that:

–  On average, men die younger than women do.

–  Males have higher death rates than females for almost all of the leading causes of death and at all ages.

–  Men’s poorer lifestyles are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases.

–  Late presentation to health services can lead to a large number of problems becoming untreatable.

It is so important that the men in our lives feel comfortable to come forward to their health practitioners when they feel something is wrong or has changed, instead of ‘pushing through’ for the sake of family or work. Our clinics offer ultrasound scans that can screen for a range of male health issues. The referral process is super quick and efficient, with our scans taking as little as 30 minutes and an hour at the most. Our clinics are private and respectful settings where you need not feel embarrassed or worried.

Here is a breakdown of some of our most common scan referrals for men, but to name a few—see our website for our full list of medical scans.

Testes/Scrotal Ultrasound €150

A testicular ultrasound scan serves to image testicles, epididymides and kidneys. The most common reason for referral for this procedure is testicular pain, though there are many other reasons why your doctor can refer you for this. It is a quick, non-invasive way of confirming or excluding certain pathology in relation to the testicles and the epididymides.

This scan is often requested to query a mass or inflammation and only takes half and hour.

More info HERE.

Abdomen Scan €150

An abdominal ultrasound scan serves to image the upper abdominal organs. The most common reason for referral for this procedure is upper abdominal pain, though there are many other reasons why your doctor can refer you for this. In most cases, your doctor will combine blood tests with this examination in order to come to a more accurate diagnosis.

Common requests for this scan are to query gallstones or liver issues and takes half an hour.

More info HERE.

Renal Scan €150

A renal ultrasound scan serves to image the organs of the renal tract – this includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder and prostate (in males). In most cases, your doctor will combine blood tests and urinalysis with this examination in order to come to a more accurate diagnosis.

More info HERE.

*If you require two medical scans, we can offer them as a combined scan for €250 (for example, Abdomen with Renal Scan)

We also provide Thyroid Scans, Soft Tissue Scans and Carotid Doppler ultrasound.

For more information on International Men’s Health Week, the Men’s Health Forum of Ireland website has some excellent resources as well as poster packs for download to share on social media. See more HERE

Otherwise, feel free to reach out via email info@theultrasoundsuite.ie or via our social media. We are on Facebook and Instagram!