5 Health Checks Every Gay Man Should Have Before Hitting 30

Gay or straight, it is of the utmost importance for men to make their health a priority before they hit thirty. Obviously, due to various differences in lifestyle and daily priorities, straight and gay men tend to approach their potential health issues, as well as their overall lifestyles, in very different ways. With that in mind, it is not unusual for straight and gay men that are of the same age to ask their doctors and dentists completely different questions.

If you are a gay man approaching the big 3-0, here are our 5 recommended health checks you should do.

A word of advice

Every (gay) man should have a chosen MD they can trust. Apart from being comfortable enough to talk about potential diseases, issues, acute and chronic problems, every gay man should be open about his sexuality with the person responsible for their health checks. With that being said, before you choose your MD, make sure he/she is aware of your sexuality and is 100% comfortable with it. Once you have done it, consult with them on all the health checkups you should be paying closer attention to depending on your gender, age, and lifestyle.

STDs/STIs/HIV checkups

Although you may sound as a stereotype, but sexually transmitted diseases and infections are often a number one health check recommended to the patients who are in homosexual relationships. In male homosexual relationships, the chances of being contracting a number of STDs/STIs are high, including HIV. For this, make sure you a) practice safe sex b) get regularly tested for HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis, gonorrhea, herpes, and the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are non-profit organizations that can offer you a free hiv test so there’s really no excuse to not getting tested.

A comprehensive screening with your doctor is always a smart move.

HPV screening

Human papillomavirus or HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that usually causes anal or genital warts in men and cervical cancer in women. However, the reason for concern these days lies in the fact that doctors now believe HPV to be potentially playing a role in “increased rates of anal cancer among gay men. Some doctors recommend that gay men receive routine anal Pap smears […] as this could help detect and treat HPV and head off anal cancer”.

Testicular cancer

According to the National Institute of Health, “testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men in their 30s”. Symptoms include pain in the testicles or scrotum, an aching in the groin, breast tenderness and lumps in one or both testicles. You may not have these symptoms (and hopefully never will) but it’s important that you are aware of them not only for your personal health benefit but for others around you, too. Make sure you get preventively screened for testicular cancer with your doctor. Also, if you plan on having children with your partner through a surrogate, get tested for fertility, too.

Prostate Cancer

Luckily, prostate cancer isn’t a common concern for men in their 30s, but being aware of the symptoms for sure is essential. Early detection of signs and symptoms can make a huge difference in treating prostate cancer, especially when you are in trusted and experienced hands. With experts like Dr Haddad – a leading Australian expert in treating prostate cancer – minimal treatment will result in success and the best possible care you could ask for. Get screened and eliminate your worries.

Heart health

Your heart is the only muscle of your body that never rests or sleeps which is why you need to take proper care of it in order to keep it healthy and pumping. Keeping your heart in shape means doing regular physical activity, eating right and sleeping enough. Aerobic exercises, such as walking, biking, running and jogging (or any other semi-intense form of workouts) are just enough to keep your heart pumping at healthy levels. Since it is more likely that cholesterol will give you troubles in your 30s, do your best to maintain a healthy diet by eating lots of healthy fats, leafy greens, grass-fed organic meats, and other healthy nutrients. Rest as much as possible and try to regulate your sleeping patterns if they’ve been failing in the recent years.

Peter Minkoff

Freelance Writer

Peter is a gay lifestyle writer for TheGayUk magazine from Brisbane, Australia! He worked as a freelance writer for local newspapers in before blogging. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.