Why Men in Shreveport Avoid the Doctor — And Why That Has to Change
Men’s Health Doctor in Shreveport and Bossier City, LA
Think about the last time you saw a doctor for a checkup. Not because something was wrong. Not because your wife made you. Just because. If you're like most men in Shreveport and Bossier City, you might have to think pretty hard. Maybe it's been two years. Maybe five. Maybe you genuinely can't remember. You feel okay — no major complaints — so what's the rush? The truth is, the biggest health threats facing men in Louisiana right now don't come with warning signs. They build quietly, over years, and by the time most men notice something is wrong, the problem is already serious. The good news: almost all of them are preventable, manageable, and catchable early — if you have a doctor. This post is about why men avoid medical care, what that silence is costing us here in Northwest Louisiana, and why there's now a better option right in Shreveport.
The Hard Truth About Men's Health in Louisiana
Let's start with the numbers, because they matter.
In the United States, men live about five years less than women on average. According to the most recent data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, life expectancy for males in 2024 was 76.5 years, compared to 81.4 years for females — a gap of nearly five years.¹ That alone is striking. But when you look at what's happening here in the South, it gets more sobering.
Louisiana consistently ranks among the worst states in the country for life expectancy and overall health outcomes. CDC state life tables place Louisiana in the bottom tier nationally for both total and male life expectancy, alongside states like Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, and Arkansas.² The conditions driving those numbers are not mysterious. They are heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and suicide — the same diseases that appear at the top of the list of leading causes of death for men across the country.³
Louisiana's diabetes burden is particularly stark. According to data from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, approximately 16 percent of Louisiana adults have been diagnosed with diabetes — one of the highest rates in the nation, ranking the state third highest in the country.⁴ Heart disease rates in Louisiana similarly exceed the national average. These are not just statistics. They are your neighbors, your coworkers, the men sitting next to you at church or in the bleachers at a Friday night football game.
The hard reality is that most of the conditions killing men in Shreveport and Bossier City are not inevitable. They develop slowly. They respond to treatment. They can be caught before they become crises. But only if someone is actually looking.
Why Men Don't Go to the Doctor
Before we talk solutions, let's be honest about the problem — because it's real, and it deserves to be said plainly.
Men avoid doctors. The CDC data is clear: women are 33 percent more likely to visit a doctor than men, and women are twice as likely to seek preventive care.⁵ A study published in BMC Health Services Research found that the majority of men did not engage in regular health checkup visits, representing what the authors called "a missed opportunity for preventive health care discussions."⁶
Why? The reasons are real and understandable.
"I feel fine." This is the big one. Men tend to seek care when something hurts or when they can't function. When nothing seems wrong, a doctor's visit feels like a waste of time. The problem is that the most dangerous conditions — high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, early cancer — often feel like nothing at all, for years.
Fear of bad news. Research bears this out. One of the top reasons men report skipping annual exams is that they are afraid of finding out something is seriously wrong.⁷ Ironically, finding out sooner is almost always better. A diagnosis caught early is a problem that can usually be managed. A diagnosis caught late is a crisis.
Masculinity and how men are raised to think about health. Research published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that adherence to traditional masculine norms — being tough, self-reliant, not showing vulnerability — is directly linked to healthcare avoidance in men.⁸ When "real men don't complain" is a message you've absorbed since childhood, making a doctor's appointment can feel like weakness. It isn't. It's one of the most responsible things a man can do for himself and his family.
Practical barriers. Even men who want to see a doctor often run into frustrating obstacles: appointments weeks out, waiting rooms full of sick people, rushed visits where they leave feeling unheard. A study published in Medical Care found the median in-person visit with a primary care doctor lasts just 15 minutes.⁹ If you're a busy man in Shreveport running a job or a family or a business, getting half an hour of your life back only to feel dismissed isn't exactly motivating.
None of these reasons are excuses — they're explanations. Understanding why men avoid care is the first step toward removing the barriers that keep them from getting it.
What Men Are Missing by Skipping Preventive Care
Here is what doesn't get talked about enough: the conditions most likely to kill men in Louisiana are quiet. They don't announce themselves. And most of them can be identified with a simple blood draw or blood pressure reading.
High blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension affects approximately 45 percent of U.S. adults, and an estimated 11 to 15 percent of cases are undiagnosed.¹⁰ It causes no symptoms. No headaches, no dizziness — nothing. Men can walk around for years with blood pressure that is silently damaging their heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. Among young men with hypertension, awareness rates are especially low: only 23.3 percent of young men with elevated blood pressure are aware of their condition, compared to 34.6 percent of young women.¹¹ The only way to know your blood pressure is to measure it. The only way to measure it regularly is to have a doctor.
Type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 8.7 million Americans have undiagnosed diabetes — meaning they have the disease but don't know it.¹² In Louisiana, where more than 16 in every 100 adults have diabetes, the stakes are especially high.⁴ By the time type 2 diabetes causes obvious symptoms — extreme thirst, vision changes, frequent urination — it has often been present for years, and complications like nerve damage and kidney disease may have already begun. A simple fasting blood sugar or hemoglobin A1C test can catch it early, when lifestyle changes and medications work best.
Colorectal cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults with average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45.¹³ Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death for both men and women, and when caught early it is highly treatable. Yet in 2016, more than a quarter of eligible adults in the U.S. had never been screened.¹³ Screenings require a doctor who knows your history and can order the right test at the right time.
Depression and mental health. Men die by suicide at nearly four times the rate of women. In 2023, the suicide rate among males was 22.8 per 100,000, compared to 5.9 per 100,000 among females.¹⁴ Yet men are far less likely than women to seek mental health care, often because of the same cultural norms around strength and self-sufficiency discussed above. Primary care is often where mental health gets noticed first — a doctor who knows you and sees you regularly is far more likely to recognize when something is off.
Heart disease. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men in the United States.³ High cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and smoking history are all risk factors that can be screened and managed in primary care, years before a heart attack occurs. But only if you're being seen.
The theme here is consistent: these are not conditions you can feel your way into catching early. You need someone measuring, testing, and tracking over time.
Why the Traditional Healthcare System Makes It Hard
It would be easy to tell men to just go to the doctor. But it's worth acknowledging why that advice often falls flat in the real world — because the system itself is broken in ways that hit men especially hard.
The average primary care visit in the United States runs about 15 to 18 minutes.⁹ That's barely enough time to cover one problem, let alone do a full review of a 45-year-old man who hasn't been seen in four years. Men who do show up often leave feeling like they weren't heard. Their second concern got cut off. Their questions about that thing they've been worried about went unanswered. And they walk out thinking: well, that wasn't worth it. They don't go back.
Then there's the access problem. Getting a new patient appointment with a primary care doctor in many markets involves waiting weeks or even months. For a man who finally worked up the motivation to call, a six-week wait is enough to let that motivation disappear.
Cost is another real barrier. Men are more likely than women to be uninsured or underinsured. When a visit comes with a copay, a deductible, and a bill that arrives three weeks later from a lab you didn't know was out-of-network, going to the doctor feels like a financial risk.
And the irony is that when the system fails men — when they can't get in, when visits feel rushed, when bills are confusing — they stop trusting it. And then they stop going. And the quiet conditions keep getting quieter and more dangerous.
This isn't the patient's fault. But there is a different option.
A Different Kind of Men's Health Doctor in Shreveport
Shreveport Direct Care was built for exactly the kind of man who's been putting off his health for years — the man who's too busy, too skeptical of the system, or simply hasn't found a doctor he actually trusts.
Dr. Pat F. Bass III — known to his patients as Dr. Ricky — is a physician trained in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, with years of experience listening to what's actually going on in his patients' lives, not just running through a checklist. At Shreveport Direct Care, the model is called Direct Primary Care (DPC) — and it works differently from anything most men have experienced.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
Same-day and next-day appointments. When something is wrong — or when you're finally ready to get that overdue checkup — you get in that day or the next. No six-week waits.
Longer visits. Appointments at Shreveport Direct Care are not rushed. Dr. Ricky has time to sit down, ask about your life, review your history, and actually hear all of your concerns — not just one. If you've been putting off coming in because you had three things to talk about and were afraid you'd only get to one, this is the practice for you.
Direct access to your doctor. Patients can text or email Dr. Bass directly with questions or follow-up concerns. Not a call center. Not a nurse line. Your doctor. This is the kind of access that used to be standard in medicine and somehow got lost.
Telehealth options. Can't get away from the job site? Traveling for work? Dr. Ricky can see you by phone, text, or video. Your health doesn't have to stop when life gets busy.
Flat monthly membership. There are no copays. No pay-per-visit fees. No surprise bills from the lab. You pay one predictable monthly amount — less than most people's cell phone bill — and you have full access to your doctor. For men who've avoided care partly because of the financial uncertainty of the traditional system, this changes the math entirely.
No judgment about how long it's been. If the last time you saw a doctor was five years ago — or fifteen — Dr. Ricky is not here to lecture you. He's here to get you a baseline, figure out where you stand, and build a plan that works for your life. That means labs, blood pressure, metabolic panel, cholesterol, blood sugar, cancer screening referrals — whatever it takes to get a clear picture of your health today.
Shreveport Direct Care serves patients throughout Shreveport, Bossier City, and the broader Ark-La-Tex region.
What to Expect at Your First Visit — Especially If It's Been a While
If you haven't seen a doctor in years, the idea of a first visit might feel like a lot. Here's what it actually looks like at Shreveport Direct Care.
You sit down with Dr. Bass, and he listens. He'll ask about your history, your family health background, your lifestyle, what you're noticing, and what's been worrying you — if anything. This is a conversation, not a test.
For men who are coming in after a long gap, Dr. Ricky will likely recommend some baseline bloodwork: a complete blood count, a metabolic panel to look at kidney and liver function, a lipid panel for cholesterol, and a hemoglobin A1C to screen for diabetes. Depending on your age and history, he may also review cancer screening recommendations — the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45, along with a range of other age-based screenings that your doctor can walk you through.¹³
You leave with a plan — not a bill you don't understand and a vague instruction to "follow up in six months." You leave knowing where you stand, what comes next, and how to reach Dr. Bass if anything comes up.
That's it. No drama. No judgment. Just good medicine, done right.
It's Time
Men in Shreveport and Bossier City are dying younger than they should — and most of those deaths are preventable. Not because of bad luck, but because the conditions that kill men can be caught early, managed, and often reversed with the right care and the right relationship with a doctor.
The barriers that kept you away — the wait times, the rushed visits, the unpredictable bills, the feeling of not being heard — those are real. But they aren't unavoidable anymore.
Shreveport Direct Care exists because medicine should work for the patient. Same-day access. Longer visits. A doctor who knows your name and answers your texts. Flat monthly pricing with no surprises. This is what primary care should feel like.
Ready to get started? Schedule a free Meet and Greet with Dr. Bass today. No obligation. Just a conversation.
📍 670 Albemarle Drive, Suite 901, Shreveport, LA 71106 📞 318-588-7060 🌐 www.shreveportdirectcare.com/get-started
If there's a man in your life — a husband, a father, a brother, a friend — who's been putting this off, share this with them. Sometimes the first step is someone else caring enough to say: it's time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Men's Health in Shreveport
Q: How often should men see a primary care doctor?
Most men should see their primary care doctor at least once a year for a preventive checkup — even when they feel fine. How often you need to come in beyond that depends on your age, family history, and whether you're managing any ongoing conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Men over 40, or those with chronic conditions, may benefit from visits every three to six months. The key is having a doctor who tracks your health over time, not just when something goes wrong.
Q: What does a men's health checkup actually include?
A thorough men's health visit at Shreveport Direct Care typically includes a full review of your health history, a blood pressure check, and baseline lab work — a complete blood count, metabolic panel, lipid panel for cholesterol, and a hemoglobin A1C to screen for diabetes. Depending on your age, Dr. Bass will also go over cancer screening recommendations, including colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45 per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. You'll also have time to bring up anything that's been on your mind — which is exactly the kind of conversation that gets skipped in a rushed 15-minute appointment.
Q: What are the most important health screenings for men?
The most important screenings for men depend on your age and risk factors, but several are recommended for most adult men:
- Blood pressure: Checked at every visit; hypertension affects nearly 45% of U.S. adults and causes no symptoms
- Blood sugar (A1C): Screens for type 2 diabetes, which affects 8.7 million Americans who don't know they have it
- Cholesterol (lipid panel): Identifies cardiovascular risk years before a heart attack
- Colorectal cancer screening: Recommended starting at age 45 for average-risk adults
- Mental health assessment: Men die by suicide at nearly four times the rate of women; a doctor who knows you is often the first to notice signs of depression
Dr. Bass will help you understand which screenings are appropriate for you based on your age, family history, and lifestyle.
Q: Is it too late to start seeing a doctor if I haven't been in years?
Not at all — and you won't be judged for the gap. Dr. Bass sees men all the time who haven't had a checkup in five, ten, or even fifteen years. The first visit is a conversation, not a lecture. The goal is simply to get a clear picture of where your health stands today, identify anything that needs attention, and put a plan together that works for your life. Starting late is always better than not starting.
Q: What is Direct Primary Care and how is it different from a regular doctor's office?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based model where you pay a flat monthly fee — typically less than most cell phone bills — and get full access to your physician. There are no copays, no per-visit fees, and no surprise bills. At Shreveport Direct Care, that means same-day and next-day appointments, longer visits with Dr. Bass, and the ability to reach him directly by phone, text, or email. It's the kind of access that used to be standard in medicine and that makes a real difference for men who've avoided care because the traditional system felt rushed, expensive, or hard to get into.
Q: Does Shreveport Direct Care accept my insurance?
Shreveport Direct Care operates on a Direct Primary Care membership model, which means it functions outside of traditional insurance billing. Patients pay a flat monthly membership fee directly to the practice. Many members keep a high-deductible insurance plan for hospitalizations, specialist care, or emergencies, and use their DPC membership for all primary care needs. This combination often saves money compared to traditional insurance-based primary care, especially for men who are self-employed, underinsured, or paying high out-of-pocket costs under their current plan. Dr. Bass can walk you through how the model works during your free Meet and Greet.
Q: Can Shreveport Direct Care help with mental health concerns?
Yes. Primary care is often the first and most accessible place where mental health gets addressed. Dr. Bass can evaluate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress during a primary care visit, discuss treatment options including medication and referrals to mental health specialists, and — importantly — monitor your wellbeing over time as someone who knows you personally. Men are far less likely than women to seek mental health care, but the consequences of untreated depression in men are serious. Having a trusted doctor who notices when something seems off can make all the difference.
Q: What areas does Shreveport Direct Care serve?
Shreveport Direct Care sees patients throughout Shreveport, Bossier City, and the broader Ark-La-Tex region, including patients in Northwest Louisiana, East Texas, and Southwest Arkansas. Telehealth visits are also available for patients who travel for work or can't easily get to the office.
References
1 Xu J, Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2024. NCHS Data Brief, No. 548. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. January 2026. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm
5 Arias E, Tejada-Vera B, Kochanek KD, et al. U.S. State Life Tables, 2022. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 74, No. 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. December 4, 2025. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death – Males. Updated 2024. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/males.htm
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence and Trend Data. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/index.html. Louisiana diabetes prevalence figures sourced from BRFSS state data; also cited in: The Global Statistics. Diabetes Rate by State Statistics in the US 2025. Published December 29, 2025. URL: [https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/diabetes-rate-by-state/]
5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Care Access and Utilization by Sex, National Health Interview Survey. Referenced in: INTEGRIS Health. Why Don't Men See Doctors? Published June 12, 2019. URL: https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors
6 Seaman P, White A, Laughlin S. Why do men go to the doctor? Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with healthcare utilisation among a cohort of Australian men. BMC Health Services Research. 2016;16(Suppl 3):82. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5103250/
7 Cleveland Clinic Survey on Men's Health-Seeking Behavior. Referenced in: INTEGRIS Health. Why Don't Men See Doctors? Published June 12, 2019. URL: https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors
8 Himmelstein MS, Sanchez DT. Masculinity impediments: Internalized masculinity contributes to healthcare avoidance in men and women. Journal of Health Psychology. 2016;21(7):1283–1292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314551623
9 Neprash HT, Sheridan B, Bhatt J, et al. Association between primary care appointment lengths and subsequent ambulatory reassessment, emergency department care, and hospitalization. Referenced in: Average primary care exam lasts less than 20 minutes. Healio. Published January 21, 2021. URL: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20210121/average-primary-care-exam-lasts-less-than-20-minutes [Original study: Neprash HT, et al. Med Care. 2020. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001450]
6 American Heart Association. Abstract 4371536: Unveiling the Silent Killer: Undiagnosed Hypertension Drives 12,400 Annual Deaths with Disparities in Young Black Men and Rural Populations. Circulation. 2025;152(Suppl_3). URL: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.152.suppl_3.4371536
11 Vasculearn Network. Hidden High Blood Pressure: The Silent Epidemic in Young Adults. Published August 5, 2025. URL: https://thrombosis.org/patients/patient-articles/hidden-high-blood-pressure-the-silent-epidemic-in-young-adults
12 American Diabetes Association. Statistics About Diabetes. Updated 2024. URL: https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics
13 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Colorectal Cancer: Screening. Recommendation Statement. Published May 18, 2021. URL: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening
14 National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide Statistics. Updated 2024. URL: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide
References
1 Xu J, Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2024. NCHS Data Brief, No. 548. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. January 2026. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db548.htm
[5] Arias E, Tejada-Vera B, Kochanek KD, et al. U.S. State Life Tables, 2022. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 74, No. 12. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. December 4, 2025. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-12.pdf
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death – Males. Updated 2024. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/males.htm
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Prevalence and Trend Data. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/index.html. [Louisiana diabetes prevalence figures sourced from BRFSS state data; also cited in: The Global Statistics. Diabetes Rate by State Statistics in the US 2025. Published December 29, 2025. URL: https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/diabetes-rate-by-state/]
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Care Access and Utilization by Sex, National Health Interview Survey. Referenced in: INTEGRIS Health. Why Don't Men See Doctors? Published June 12, 2019. URL: https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors
[6] Seaman P, White A, Laughlin S. Why do men go to the doctor? Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with healthcare utilisation among a cohort of Australian men. BMC Health Services Research. 2016;16(Suppl 3):82. URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5103250/
[7] Cleveland Clinic Survey on Men's Health-Seeking Behavior. Referenced in: INTEGRIS Health. Why Don't Men See Doctors? Published June 12, 2019. URL: https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2019/june/why-dont-men-see-doctors
[8] Himmelstein MS, Sanchez DT. Masculinity impediments: Internalized masculinity contributes to healthcare avoidance in men and women. Journal of Health Psychology. 2016;21(7):1283–1292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314551623
[9] Neprash HT, Sheridan B, Bhatt J, et al. Association between primary care appointment lengths and subsequent ambulatory reassessment, emergency department care, and hospitalization. Referenced in: Average primary care exam lasts less than 20 minutes. Healio. Published January 21, 2021. URL: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20210121/average-primary-care-exam-lasts-less-than-20-minutes [Original study: Neprash HT, et al. Med Care. 2020. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001450]
[6] American Heart Association. Abstract 4371536: Unveiling the Silent Killer: Undiagnosed Hypertension Drives 12,400 Annual Deaths with Disparities in Young Black Men and Rural Populations. Circulation. 2025;152(Suppl_3). URL: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circ.152.suppl_3.4371536
[11] Vasculearn Network. Hidden High Blood Pressure: The Silent Epidemic in Young Adults. Published August 5, 2025. URL: https://thrombosis.org/patients/patient-articles/hidden-high-blood-pressure-the-silent-epidemic-in-young-adults
[12] American Diabetes Association. Statistics About Diabetes. Updated 2024. URL: https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics
[13] U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Colorectal Cancer: Screening. Recommendation Statement. Published May 18, 2021. URL: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening
[14] National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide Statistics. Updated 2024. URL: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide