Dr George Lee welcomes every question, no matter how unusual
PETALING JAYA: No hot-blooded heterosexual male will spend their life looking after people’s penises - that was what urologist Dr George Lee was told.
“I told my children I could give talks in their school, as Papa is a ‘reasonably famous urologist’. But they told my wife they didn’t want their friends to know their father is a willy doctor!” he laughed.
Though such statements used to offend him, Dr George now knows that such misconceptions contribute to the lack of urologists in Malaysia, as it is an area rarely explored unless one is passionate about enhancing the lives of men.
The Cambridge and Oxford-trained doctor became interested in the subject of men’s health after a work attachment in the field.
“My colleagues were doctors called Andrew Ball, John Dick and Nigel Bullock. There was no way I could not end up as a urologist after working with them!” laughed the 44-year-old.
Jokes aside, Dr George found the field of urology interesting as it also goes beyond mere sexual matters.
A urologist must deal with a wide range of issues, such as kidney stones, incontinence, sexually transmitted infections, ambiguous genitalia, cancers of the prostate, intestine and kidney variety, and even a substantial amount of pediatrics.
“So when people ask if I’m a sex doctor, I say it’s really only 5% of my work!” said the clinical associate professor.
To him, there are far less taboos surrounding women’s health, as procedures like mammograms have become more commonplace.
“If you have a prostate awareness week, a sexual function campaign, or a testicular cancer self-examination session, people are still too shy to participate. They fear being perceived as inferior,” he said.
Dr George shared that many men only seek emergency treatment when the pain becomes unbearable, which illustrated different treatment-seeking behaviour between men and women.
“If you tell a woman she has a breast lump, she’d see a doctor straightaway. But men will contemplate and have many sleepless nights beforehand!” he said.
And while men may have a physical advantage in terms of sheer strength, Dr George shared that they are the weaker gender worldwide in terms of life expectancy.
“To some extent, I think that ego and ignorance are stopping men from asking the necessary questions about their own health, which puts them at risk,” he said.
One such misconception Dr George faced was when a vasectomy patient asked where his testicles would be placed after removal.
However, he welcomes every question, no matter how unusual.
“Some readers may laugh and wonder what he’s thinking as there is no such removal, but it will help those who have not heard of a vasectomy before! Lots of people don’t understand medical procedures involving their privates,” he said.
As he believes that “life has no ifs”, he hopes that others will adopt the “find out for yourself” approach for their personal health.
That philosophy helped the Kelantanese doctor return to Malaysia in 2007 after 21 colourful, well-lived years abroad as a young student in war-torn Northern Ireland, and later, London.
Dr George’s years abroad have also exposed the differences between Western and Eastern urology. He finds that local men are usually a little more conservative, reserved, and susceptible to exploitation.
“Anxious men will ask a friend of a friend about their problems, who will then prescribe dubious oils, unregulated practitioners, or counterfeit medicine. It’s unacceptable. Sometimes, men miss opportunities to detect cancer, which puts them at risk!” he added.
Through his Ask Dr G column, Dr George hopes to break some taboos and debunk the myths surrounding men’s sexual health. You can send him questions at askdrg@thestar.com.my.
“It will open up an avenue for discussion. My utopia would be to increase people’s knowledge of men’s health issues in a lighthearted yet informative manner,” he said.
Dr George also welcomes questions from the ladies, and feels there should be no shame in discussing any part of the body.
“When we can openly tackle issues that affect our bodies, we’ll have less issues concerning sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and more,” he said.
For instance, poor sexual performance can indicate hormonal or psychological problems, or even full-fledged illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure.
“It’s important to be in the know. When you protect yourself, you protect your loved ones,” he added.
On Friday, Dr George will answer any personal health questions - including those on sex - on Twitter. Just tweet questions with #AskDrG starting today.
And if he has to describe himself in less than 140 characters, Dr George would choose “charismatic, cheeky, and charming”!
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