Video: Real Men Wear Hospital Gowns

I hate doctor's offices and hospitals gowns as much as the next guy, but the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Ad Council have a point with their recently released "Real Men Wear Gowns" public-service advertising campaign. Take a look:

Sure, there's something cheesy about guys at graduations and weddings in hospital gowns, but the fact is men are dropping like overweight, stressed-out flies in comparison with women. Just look at these stats, which compare men's and women's rates of death for some leading causes of death, and you'll get a sense of how poorly we're doing. And even though the latest lifespan data show that both men and women are living longer than they used to, men still have significantly shorter average lifespans.

Some of the mortality disparity may well be based in biological differences between the sexes, but there's little doubt that men's tendency to avoid the doctor is making matters even worse. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year and, according to AHRQ, 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected their cholesterols tests.

Here are the key tests the campaign recommends:

• Cholesterol. Have it checked regularly once you hit 35.

• Blood pressure. Have it checked every two years.

• Colon cancer. Start getting tested at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which of various tests is best for you.

• Other cancers. Ask your doctor if you should be tested for prostate, lung, oral, skin, or other cancers.