Men’s Health Services
Men’s Health
At Bayside Family Medical, we offer a range of men’s health services. From skin checks to bowel and prostate screening, our doctors are here to support men on their journey to living a healthier, happier life.
Teens and Early Adults
Risk Behaviour and Mental Health Issues
During the school years, stress is a common concern for young people. If stress is becoming a problem, speak to your GP, who will discuss the options available, which includes counselling through a psychologist if necessary.
At Bayside Family Medical, we have a team of psychologists ready to offer counselling to young men experiencing risk behaviour and mental health concerns.
You may be eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan, which entitles you to Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and 10 group appointments with some allied mental health services in a calendar year. Speak to your doctor for more information.
Alcohol Use and Illicit Drug Use
Excessive alcohol consumption amongst young adults is a growing concern and sadly we are seeing more and more young people binge drinking.
Warning signs in teens:
- Becoming withdrawn
- Socially isolated and cutting themselves off from friends
- Difficulty getting out of bed
- Difficulty getting to school.
If you are concerned about your drinking habits or those of your child, we can assist. Our GPs can provide guidance about how to tackle excessive drinking, as well as offering support to young people experiencing addiction to illicit drugs.
Smoking
Quitting smoking can be difficult, but we are here to help you achieve your goal. We can line you up with all the support tools you’ll need to break the habit. Quitline is a great place to start, for example.
Your doctor can also provide advice about nicotine substitutes (gum and patches), as well as tablets to inhibit nicotine receptors in the brain and other options to supress cravings.
20s to 50s
Weight Loss and Exercise Advice
Your GP can offer input about prevention of weight gain and the risk of becoming overweight, and therefore the subsequent risk of diabetes.
At Bayside Family Medical, we have dieticians and a diabetes educator on-site. If patients are on the borderline of diabetes, we send them to these experts for further advice about sensible eating and weight advice.
There’s also an in-house cardiologist at Bayside Family Medical. If we have concerns about early heart disease or family history of early heart disease, we can refer you on to Dr Ian Matthews.
Sexual Health
It’s important to remember that some sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) may show no symptoms (Chlamydia, for example). There are simple tests available to check your sexual health, including blood and urine tests, so please book in.
Vasectomy Advice
While we do not perform vasectomies, we can provide a referral to a specialist who can. If you’re a public patient, the operation can be performed through Sandringham Hospital or privately if you have health insurance.
Assessing Family History
At Bayside Family Medical, preventative health is one of our key drivers. That’s why we’ll make it a priority to run through your family history and identify any medical concerns that may come up in future.
If you have a history of a particular medical condition like heart disease, your doctor can provide advice and tips about how to avoid it.
Skin Checks
It’s a good idea to have your skin checked annually for changes. We offer mole scanning and skin checks. For more info, check out our Skin Cancer page.
50s+
Yearly Male Health Checks
We usually suggest you have a blood test prior to a face-to-face consultation. As part of this, we will run through any risk factors.
Prostate Screening
Around 17,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually in Australia. If you have a close relative with prostate cancer your chances of being diagnosed with it are higher, particularly if the relative was diagnosed before the age of 60.
Symptoms include:
• Trouble passing urine
• A slow, interrupted flow of urine
• Frequent urination, including at night
• incontinence.
At Bayside Family Medical, we recommend yearly testing after the age of 50. We can check your prostate health with either a PSA blood test (which measures the level of PSA in your blood) or a physical examination.
If either test returns an abnormal result, your GP will inform you about next possible steps, including biopsy.
Bowel Cancer Screening
The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program is available to eligible men aged 50 to 74. As part of the program, men receive a faecal immunochemical test in the mail and be asked to take two separate faecal samples before sending the test back to the lab for analysis.
If you have a family history of bowel cancer or polyps, speak to your doctor about other screening options, such as a colonoscopy, and we can refer you on to a specialist.
Senior’s Health
We support men with their health right through the lifespan. For seniors, this can include anything from managing arthritis to cognitive issues with early onset dementia.
Our doctors can also assist with suggestions for improving mental health in older men by encouraging them to socialise regularly (for example by with U3A or Men’s Sheds). Whatever your medical needs, we are here to help.