Survey finds less than half of women assist husbands with skin cancer self-exams

Less than half of surveyed married women helped their husbands with skin cancer detection, according to results released by the American Academy of Dermatology.

The survey by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) of 1,250 married women aged 40 to 64 years found that 44% reported helping their husband conduct skin self-examinations for signs of skin cancer at least once a year, according to a news release from AAD. However, 45% reported they would be more likely than their husband to notice a suspicious spot on his skin.

The survey also found that 35% of respondents reported noticing a suspicious spot on their husband’s skin before he did.

Most respondents (75%) reporting examining their own skin for signs of skin cancer at least once a year.

Of the respondents, 37% reported that their husband examined his skin at least once a year, while 29% reported not being sure if their husband conducted an annual skin self-exam, according to the release.

Research has found that women are nine times more likely than men to notice melanoma on others, according to the release. The AAD is conducting a public awareness campaign in conjunction with Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in May and Melanoma Monday to encouraging women to check both their partners and themselves for signs of skin cancer.

AAD has a new video titled “Check Him Out” that uses humor to demonstrate three scenarios in which a wife is more observant than her husband and to remind women to regularly check their male partner’s skin for new or suspicious spots, according to the release.

“Because men over 50 have an increased risk of melanoma, it’s important for them to conduct regular skin self-exams to detect the disease at its earliest stages, when it’s most treatable,” Henry W. Lim, MD, FAAD, AAD president, stated in the release. “Since it can be difficult to examine some parts of your body on your own, it’s bet to ask a partner for help. We hope this video encourages women to check their partners and to check themselves.”

 

Reference: www.aad.org