Abstract Men’s health conference

An increase in long levity for Australian men combined with an increase in the detection of prostate cancer has led to a situation where more men die with prostate cancer than from the disease (AHTAC, 1996:xii; Weller, 1998). However, carcinoma of the prostate is the second most common cause of cancer death in men in Western countries (Holmes, 1993). Consequently, men who develop urological symptoms and are seeking information about screening, sequelae after diagnosis, treatment options and side effects (Crapp, 1998). The increase in the incidence of prostate cancer in Australia has certainly been followed by an increase in prostate cancer awareness. However, the public’s level of knowledge on the subject has never been systematically assessed (Laws et al, 2000). Importantly many men are unaware that urological symptoms can be attributed to benign lower urinary tract problems such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Instead they believe that symptoms are those of prostate cancer. Men regard prostate cancer as a serious and life-threatening disease and they assume, as is the case with breast and cervical screening, that early detection is the key to successful treatment (Ohehir, 1996; Pinnock, Wakefield, et al.,1998) however, this is