New campaign encouraging men to seek preventive care.

IN AN attempt to encourage more men to seek preventive health care, the U.S Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recently launched the "Real Men Wear Gowns" public service campaign.

The campaign, developed in conjunction with the Advertising Council, encourages men older than 40 to learn which preventive screening tests are recommended for them and when the tests should be conducted. Men are 25 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past year and are 38 percent more likely than women to have neglected getting a cholesterol test, according to the 2005 AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

"We hope this campaign will inform men about the importance of prevention and show them that they should work with their health care providers to find out what they should do to stay healthy," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, MD.

The campaign is based on the work of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of primary care and prevention experts that develops recommendations for clinical preventive services.

The "Real Men Wear Gowns" campaign includes new television, radio, print and Web advertising designed to be lighthearted and incorporate family as a key motivating factor for men to take a more active role in preventive health.

The campaign encourages men to visit www. ahrq.gov/realmen to access recommended ages for preventive testing, lists of recommended tests, a quiz on knowledge of preventive health, tips for talking with a doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms and other resources.

The campaign launched in late April with ads released to 33,000 media outlets nationwide.